Where Art Thou
by taylorandmacster10
Summary: No one anticipates being kidnapped and tortured, but that's what Adam awakens to. How he comes out of it all is entirely up to him. It's a thrilling, scary story sprinkled with some whump along the way. An Adam centric story.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm testing the waters with this one. I've been dying to write a story like this for awhile now and have waited till the right character and plot came along. This one was inspired by a book I read a rather long time ago that I can't remember the title of. I just remember it being really good. A lot of you have been asking for an Adam centric story and I hope you enjoy this. I'm excited to get this started. Let's do it.**

Chapter 1- Not In Chicago Anymore

It was dark. He knew that, or at least that's what his vision told him. He kept blinking, attempting to sharpen his vision but pitch black was all he got. His whole body ached, like when you fall asleep in an awkward spot and awaken to serious sores and asleep limbs. He tried to alleviate the pins-and-needles sensation but discovered restraints were keeping him in a fetal position. The heart rate was beginning to pick up now. He had no clue where was or how he got in this predicament. Breathing exercises were being used now. He'd slowly inhale, hold the breath, and slowly exhale. Freaking out wasn't going to help solve the problem. Down one of his senses, he relied on the usable ones to figure out his location. There was motor sound, like a boat engine. From the sound of the whine, he was on a decent sized boat. His suspicion was confirmed by the sickening bobbing of the floor under him. He was brought back to a memory of the Staten Island Ferry on a family trip to the big city during the Fourth of July. He was super young and stupid enough to stuff his stomach before boarding. Long story short, he wound up puking over the railing in front of a large crowd. Reminiscing turned his stomach queasy and, in no time, he reenacted his ferry memory. Despite his attempt at being quiet, the retching signaled the boat crew of his consciousness, causing a rattling, key turning sound behind him.

"Hey, you're up. And you puked, thanks man." A swift, air releasing kick to the back was his reward. He let out a painful grunt.

"Knock him out," came from another voice. Moments later, a sharp, prick sensation began erupting on the back of his neck. He tried fighting it, but unwillingly gave in to the drug's tempting slumber. The boat kept cruising up Lake Michigan, headed to parts unknown.

He woke again to a new pain source. This time, it was his head hitting a cold, solid floor with a hard thud. Still completely unaware of his surroundings, he remained still, hoping to fool his captors for a bit. The engine this time was definitely a car, most likely a van. _What is with criminals and vans? Is there some guidebook that instructs them to buy vans and vans only?_ Gosh, he must be suffering from a concussion. He made note of the turns and stops. Four left hand turns, five right hand turns, and four stops. His conclusion was that he and his party were somewhere agricultural. Few stops meant few traffic lights. The numerous turns meant he was far away from a major road network. Not to mention the bumps and jostles of the van hinted at poorly paved roads, demolished by heavy trailers and equipment. He was in the middle nowhere with probably no cell coverage, no easy connection to the world. Whatever trouble he was in, it was big and bleak.

The van made it's final stop some fifty minutes after the journey began. Doors were immediately slid open and two strong arms grabbed his body. Oh the screaming pain his legs were in. His instinctive reaction was to double over, vying for a moment to get the blood flowing in his legs. Instead, he got a kick in the back of the knees, causing him to loudly scream in pain.

"Don't fight us and we wouldn't have to do that. Let's go. Get up!" He felt gravel under his knees and smelled livestock. He was on a farm in some remote area in a state he probably didn't live in. He was scooped up off the ground again and dragged over creaky porch steps. A door was opened and he regained his footing on some type of flooring. He immediately picked up the scent of food. It was a familiar smell. He thought it might be beef and wine that's being cooked in an oven. There was a hint of tomato in the air. He also detected music. He couldn't understand what was being sung, but the swelling orchestra and loud, boisterous, vibrato voice gave it away: opera. It was the non-opera voice that was singing along that sent chills down his spine for the first time. Someone was expecting him and they were preparing food. They were glad to have him, bound and all. And the singing was joyous. His presence was planned. What on earth was this nightmare. The two strong arm dragged him towards the voice.

"Ah excellent, you've made it! Place him in a chair over there." The music was turned down as a chair appeared under his body. He could hear another chair being pulled across a floor before stopping, a small grunt followed. The blindfold was finally removed, leaving his vision painful and blinded. Small, frequent blinks revealed his location. It was a farmhouse with a very rundown kitchen. He looked over to the dusty window to see it was indeed dark outside. The paint was peeling from the ceiling and the applicants looked to be straight out of the 1970s. The music was coming from a radio with extra large antennas. There was a worn, wooden table in front of him covered in food and drinks. At the other end was the singing voice, the demon of his nightmares. He was a stout man that screamed a mobster. His dark hair was streaked back and his skin was naturally tanned. He wore a dark button down shirt that was almost bursting in his middle section. The signature gold ring was adorned on his pinkie finger.

"Hi Adam Ruzek, I'm so glad you're hear. Please, have something to eat. I hope you like Italian food." Adam just stared at his kidnapper dumbfounded, wanting nothing more than to rush over and rip his head off. This guy knew his name and yet, Adam couldn't recognize his face. What other major information did this guy have on him, on Intelligence? Adam felt eerily sick.

"Oh, where are my manners. Undo his cuffs." One of the henchmen obeyed the command, freeing Adam's wrists for him to slowly massage. The man across from him began filling a plate for himself, loudly chewing on a piece of bread during the process. He poured a glass of wine for himself before offering the bottle to Adam. A glare was the only response.

"You know, Adam, That's not the proper way to treat a host." That one set him off.

"Host?! Since when did hosts kidnap their company! Look man, I don't know who you are but.."

"-You're right, you don't know who I am. Sure, you and your little team from Chicago have tracked down people who work for me, but you have no clue who you're sitting across from. You've been knocking out pawns, thinking the king wouldn't notice. Well, consider this your greeting from the king." He went back to stabbing his food and loudly chewing. His motions made Adam nauseous.

"What kind of psycho prepares a final meal for his prisoners," Adam replied. The large man began laughing a deep, joyful laugh. Adam was sweating hatred at this point.

"One that wants you to remember this time. Because the next few days will be hell for you. You'll stay up all night, wishing for this time where you could've spill all your little secrets. So eat up, because this is it." Adam felt the blood draining from his body. His skin was honestly crawling. He hoped his dread wasn't showing on his face. His training kicked in. The training they taught you at the police academy to use for these dire situations: interrogation via torture. He blinked and instantly, his fear was swallowed. There was no way he'd let his captors even think they'd secured an advantage over him.

"Take him." In moments, the blindfold was placed over Adam's eyes and he did a reverse trip to the gravel path outside. The party made a right turn and dragged Adam a few yards to a barn. Adam was chained to a ring in an abandoned stall. The blindfold was removed and the stall door violently slid shut, making him jump as he adjusted to his new surroundings. The chain he was connected to had a lengthy line to it, allowing him to move around

It was a chilly evening and he only had jeans and a long sleeve shirt on. He shivered as he scanned the stall, looking for something to keep him warm. His search was rewarded with an old horse blanket and note that read, 'sweet dreams, we begin tomorrow.' He tore the paper with uncontrollably shaking hands. Perhaps the worst part of any situation is waiting, anticipating the inevitable outcome. Adam had no clue where he was, who had him, and if the team had a sliver of a chance to find him before he became mulch for the fields outside. Pure, unadulterated fear was coursing through his veins. No one expects to go through situations like this one. He didn't know which would break first, his body or his knowledge. Despite his attempts to toughen himself up, he'd always return to the belief that he was in his final days. Adam Ruzek, police officer for the Chicago police department, and a revered member of Intelligence, would be found in this stall in some remote area of the country. Obviously, he didn't sleep well that night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- A Dance With The Devil

 **I'm warning everyone now, this chapter contains intense, difficult torturing. Please do not read if this causes any triggers or unsettling thoughts. I do not condone any of this and apologize in advance if anyone is upset by the events of this chapter. This will be the only chapter with it so please skip over if it's too much to read. The next chapter will focus on the aftermath of this one. Another note, Burzek is alive and well in this story. Let's go through this tough one together.**

Kim remembers waking up that morning with a sense, a feeling that something was wrong. She doesn't know what drew her to this premonition, perhaps a sixth sense or something. She checked around her place to find everything in order. She did her normal routine before heading in to work. Nothing was wrong with her commute or car. The greeting she received from Platt was the usual: short and snarky. She reached the top of Intelligence's steps to find her answer.

"Hey Jay, have you seen Adam? He's obnoxiously never late," Kim commented while nodding to Adam's empty desk. There were zero hints of him being there.

"Not since we all left last night. Figured he'd come in with you." Kim nodded and sat at her desk, picking up her phone to call Adam. Five rings later, nothing.

"He's not picking up. It just rings and then goes to voicemail." Now she had Jay and Atwater's attention. Both guys texted and called, getting the same response.

"When did you last see him, Kim," Atwater asked?

"Last night, we went out for drinks and he walked me home. We had a fight along the way but it was silly, nothing worth still being mad over. He was fine when I last saw him." Voight was standing in his doorway, listening to the situation unfold.

"So go check on his place." Kim and Jay quickly stood and headed for the car. The ride to Adam's place was dreadful. Jay was his usual quiet, but Kim was uneasy. She'd alternate between running her hands on her legs and tapping the passenger side door. She snapped out of it when Jay gave her a concerned look.

"Sorry, it's just…I woke up this morning with this weird feeling. I can't shake the idea that something happened to him." The light turned green and Jay slowly pressed the accelerator.

"Don't put those ideas in your head. He probably just slept through his alarm." Trying his best to hide it, Jay would admit to feeling uneasy about everything. This was so out of character for Adam. He hoped for the best, but readied himself for the worst as they pulled up to the building.

…

"Well, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the door or lock. Do you have a key," Jay asked? Kim fiddled through her jacket pocket to claim her prize. She ignored Jay's smug face.

"Adam? It's Kim. We're coming in." Nothing came on the other side of the door. She slipped the key into the lock and turned it clockwise, listening to the quiet thunk of the bolt. The two of them stood in the doorway before breaching the threshold.

"Well, his phone and keys are here. Adam!" Jay began walking towards the bedroom while Kim snooped around the kitchen and living room, searching for clues at this point rather than a person.

"Bedroom and bathroom are clear. There are some clothes on the floor but other than that, you'd never guess he was here. Bed is even made and the bathroom is dry." The two of them stared at each other for a moment, neither wanting to say what they were both thinking.

"We…um…we should.."

"-I'll call Voight." Jay reached for his phone while Kim sat on the couch, holding her head with both hands. Adam was gone, vanished from life. She could hear Jay talking but couldn't comprehend what he was saying. She was too consumed with the dark, dire thoughts running through her mind. Their final conversation kept replaying. They argued about some political point, both of them taking differing sides and neither backing down. It started simple but grew, becoming slightly heated. His final comment to her was, 'if you say so.' To which her rebuttal was, 'I do and you're so wrong.' Those were her final words: 'you're so wrong.' Wherever Adam was and whatever he was going through, that's what was repeating in his mind. She never felt so guilty in her life. She wiped away a couple of tears before standing up, trying to ready herself for this unwanted battle.

"Kim…Kim, hey!" Jay's calling jolted her back to reality. She quickly spun around to the voice calling her.

"Voight's got a BOLO out and is in the process of filing a mission person report. I'm going to go ask the neighbor's if they heard anything. The team's coming over here now to help look for evidence." Kim nodded before responding.

"I'll start in the kitchen." Jay gave her a reassuring smile before moving.

"Hey, don't think it. He knows. We're going to find him." A small, white paper hanging on the light in the kitchen caught her eye. Hands were shaking as she maneuvered a chair under the light. She read the note twice before calling Jay.

"I found this." Jay glanced at it before crumbling the paper up.

 _We've claimed your pawn. Your move._

…

Adam's morning began with a hard slap to the face. He finally fell asleep sometime late in the night and guessed he only had a couple of hours of rest. As the hand print seared into his face, the familiar blindfold was placed on his head and the restraints were released from their chain. Two strong bodies lifted him off the stable floor and dragged him out of the barn, across gravel, and then thrown somewhere deep. The falling sensation made his stomach turn like it does when you ride a rollercoaster. His fall was cushioned by something padded. A mattress he guessed. Doors were slammed shut above him. He figured he was below the ground; in a cellar perhaps. A smart place to torture your prey. Adam was thrown into a chair before feeling two sharps picks, one radiating from each arm. Adam winced at the pain. The hand touching his arms was soft, like a woman's hand. The blindfold was ripped off, revealing the place where he'd spend his final days. He was definitely in a cellar, the jars and musty smell gave that away. The room was dimly lit by a long light kit sitting directly above him. There weren't any windows and certainly no other exits. The placed smelled like a mixture of sewage and moth balls. Adam looked down to see two IV lines snaking to IV stands on opposite side of him. His captors were going to drug him in an effort to gain information. A sophisticated, effective method for breaking people. The drugs would either cause the worst pain of life or force him to slip in a semi-conscious state, making his mind an open book begging to be read. Adam guessed they'd eventually use a combo of the two. He silently swallowed the dread forming in his gut. The two guys that dragged him down here emerged with tables and various shiny, poking, pain inducing instruments. The car battery and jumper cables caused his heart rate to spike. It's hard to not fear pain, especially severe levels. The head of the operation revealed himself moments later.

"Good morning, Adam! Did you sleep well last night?" He patted Adam's shoulder before pulling a chair a few feet in front of Adam. He never lost his gaze of his precious person.

"I know this is a waste of time, but I'm going to ask it anyway, hoping all the propaganda around you has put some fear in that pretty head of yours. Tell me everything you know about me." The female hand that inserted the IVs showed the rest of her body, checking Adam's pulse and blood pressure while the mystery man spoke. The rage flowing through Adam's veins could've knocked them all out in a single blow.

"I know you can't sing to save your life. That was terrible last night" Adam replied. The female nodded, indicating all systems go. The demon pointed to the tray of syringes next to the woman. She grabbed the one farthest to the left and inserted it into one of the IVs. In seconds, Adam was experiencing the worst pain of his life. You could lightly poke and knock him unconscious. His sensations were on overdrive. Immediately causing a migraine and terrible muscle aches. It was like having the flu but a hundred times worse. Adam breathed deeply, slightly grunting at the increasing pain.

"Wrong answer. I'll help you out. You and your team have been rounding up my men for the last couple of weeks, celebrating the freedom of my girls. Does that help you out? So tell me, what do you know about me? What's my name?" The demon rose from the chair and punched Adam hard, blood spraying from the impact. Adam cried in pain while the demon laughed. He repeated the process three more times till Adam's head drooped, blood pouring out of his mouth.

"He's almost unconscious," the female voice spoke. Everything went still while Adam struggled to stay awake. The demon grabbed Adam's jaw minutes later, his breath reeking of garlic.

"What is my name! What do you know about me?" Adam remained silent. He kept his eyes closed, letting his mind escape to something happy. He heard metal instruments being shuffled, one of them being placed on his thumb. The first extreme pain moments away.

"You want to play the silent game? We can do that." Without warning, the demon yanked the instrument downward, taking Adam's nail with him. He screamed while looking at the bloody hole on his thumb, totally in disbelief. The demon applied the instrument on the other thumb before repeating the question.

"What is my name and what do you know about me?" The truth was, neither Adam nor the rest of Intelligence knew who this guy was. Adam knew the case he was referring to, but honestly didn't know about this guy's involvement. It was clear that this person was the head of the operation but the case hadn't gotten that far yet. The case involved sex trafficking. A C.I. tipped them off about a suspicious abandoned building that was rumored to be a dealer destination. Upon their breach, they discovered about a hundred people chained to posts, with large, intimidating guys overseeing them. From there, the case grew to several other locations with the same M.O. While they freed hundreds of people, they were never able to figure out who was running it all. They'd take out one location and three more would pop up. In fact, Adam's last day at work consisted to of staring at the case file, recovered evidence, and several databases, desperately trying to find a commonality. What scared him was that this guy was way ahead of them. He knew Adam's name and the team he worked for. Did he have someone inside the district? Were there watchers out there, stalking his every move? Despite Adam's determination to communicate the truth to the demon, there was no way he'd accept the fact that Intelligence had nothing on this guy. So the dilemma arose: lie and be interrogated or tell the truth and be interrogated.

"I..I don't know anything about you, man. Honestly, we hadn't gotten that far yet." The yank from the instrument on his nail gave him his answer. The demon didn't believe the truth. They repeated this little charade till Adam was down an entire hand.

The human body is amazing. Adam began to adjust to the level of pain. Like a woman about to give birth, there's something inside of humans that mentally and physically prepares you for the worst pain of your life. Granted, the pain was severe, but it didn't knock Adam out. The yanking, punching, and injections went on for another hour till he began to slip in and out of consciousness. The female halted the session, stating Adam had reached his limit, nearing a state of shock. The demon flung the instruments on the table and stormed out, the henchmen following behind. A burning pain spread on the back of Adam's neck as he nodded off. Round one was complete. The demon refused to believe and Adam didn't cave. This was like a game of Russian Roulette, one of them wasn't going to make it out alive. Adam smiled at himself as he accepted the sedative nature of the latest drug in his system. He welcomed his challenger's next move.

…

They convened in Adam's living room. Amongst the police officers and CSI techs, there was Intelligence, lounging on Adam's couch, chairs, and some on the floor. The energy in the room was tense and slightly dire. Adam and his captors had hours of a head start on them, zero hints as to which direction.

"The note was just sent to the lab for handwriting analysis so hopefully we'll hear something soon," Antonio commented.

"I spoke to the neighbors and they remember seeing Adam come home around eleven thirty and they didn't hear anything after that. Also, I spoke with the superintendent and he's combing through security tapes and he'll let me know if he gets something," Jay informed everyone.

"So whoever took Adam has a twelve hour head start," Hailey stated. Nods and silence answered. Voight was the one to inject the next move.

"Whoever this is knows us. Start going to cases. Look for people that had the means and motivation to pull something like this off."

"Why Adam? Out of all of us, why grab him," Kim asked?

"I don't know. Who knows why people do this. Maybe they saw him as the easiest to break. Perhaps he was the quickest person to grab. Now is not the time to be asking those questions. We're twelve hours behind and probably have twelve to eighteen hours to go. Let's get up and get to work." They rose in unison and slowly strolled out of the apartment, leaving their dark, desperate thoughts behind. Adam was in trouble and needing their everything. Nothing on this planet was going to stop them from achieving their goal.

…

"Wake up, Adam!" The sinister, whispering voice jolted Adam out of a deep sleep. The pain in his hands and body an unwelcomed presence. Adam's whole body shook, partly from the morning's events, partly from the chilliness of the cellar, and partly from the fact that he hadn't eaten in half a day. He felt so weak and lethargic. He only looked up at the demon and glared, too exhausted to speak.

"So Adam, have you thought about my question? Did the rest clear your mind?" The female reentered the room and took her usual place next to Adam, grabbing another pain inducing syringe. The demon nodded and the next round began. Adam just closed his eyes as his pain level spiked, trying his best to mentally accept what was coming for him. Something sharp tore through his calf and he let out a shrieking cry.

"Now I have your attention," the demon smiled as Adam looked down at the blood seeping out of the puncture in his leg. He breathed heavily, trying his best to not pass out.

"What is my name and what do you know about me?" The demon held the sharp, spear-like instrument over Adam's left arm. Since the demon didn't believe the truth, praising was the remaining option.

"You're the head of the largest sex trafficking ring in the Midwest. You conduct a lot of business in Chicago…" The instrument was driven into his arm. Adam jerked away, writhing in pain. On top of the instrument going through flesh and muscle, the tip of it hit bone, the worst pain anyone can experience. Tears were trying to make their way out.

"I didn't ask what I do, what is my name? What do you know _about_ me?" Adam was too consumed with the pain to really listen. The female said something about his pulse being to high. The demon pulled up his chair and put it a foot away from Adam. He pulled Adam's head up, forcing him to stare into his evil, green eyes again. How fitting for this real life villain.

"Where did I grow up, how did I rise to the top of the organization. What is my name?" Adam spit in his face, smiling as the demon wiped blood and spit off of his face.

"I already told you the truth. It's up to you to decide which of the few words I've spoken are true." Adam knew the incoming retaliation was going to be extreme, but he didn't care. It was time to play defense, turn the questioning on its' head. His suspicions were correct. The demon violently punched Adam's left cheek and inserted the pointed instrument twice more, once in his other calf and in his other arm. Adam again closed his eyes, utilizing whatever power he had left to stay conscious. Lord only knew what this guy would do to him when he became an unresistant body. The demon and his apprentice stormed out of the room, leaving Adam to spit out a tooth. He loudly breathed for a few minutes before the dark, comforting sleep welcomed him. Whatever drugs they were using, Adam seemed to enjoy the last one.

…

"Hey guys, the superintendent sent me footage." Atwater pulled up the file while everyone gathered around his desk. The footage revealed three dark clothed men dragging a limp Adam out the front door and into a dark van.

"They walked right out the front door!"

"Where was the superintendent during all this," Hailey asked?

"Um, he said a tenant had called him about a faulty heater, he was gone for fifteen minutes and didn't see any of this."

"These guys are smart. I bet it was them who called the guy, creating a smooth exit for them." Jay was seriously studying the video. While the others speculated, he kept his eyes glued to the screen.

"Wait, pause that," he interjected.

"That's a plate. It's blurry and it's a partial, but it should get us something." They were able to collect two letters and a number. A search in the database revealed the van to be a rental, paid in cash by a place near the lake.

"Hit it," Voight commanded.

The ride to the rental location was, expectedly, silent. Both Atwater and Kim too consumed with the internal clock loudly ticking off. With every passing hour, Adam was that much closer to dying. In typical abduction cases, victims were kept alive for a day, sometime thirty-six hours. The fact there wasn't a ransom call was extra unsettling. Whatever they took Adam for, their endgame isn't to return him. Not to mention the fact he was a police officer. Whoever took him pretty much wrote their death sentence last night. There was no way they'd just turn him over. That left one thing: they wanted information and then they'd dispose of him. Kim rubbed her temple after that one.

"Kim, Adam's tough. He'll get through this. We're going to find him." Kevin wasn't sure if he was reassuring Kim or himself at that moment. Regardless, someone needed to speak hope into this situation. Kim nodded and went back to gazing out the window. They pulled into a parking spot and quickly climbed out of the vehicle.

"I'll take the lead on this," Kim said as they walked towards the door. Kevin nodded and opened the door for her. The man behind the counter was a middle aged, balding man named Stuart. He smiled at the two detectives and waved them over to the counter.

"I'm officer Burgess and this is officer Atwater," the two of them flashed their badges.

"We need you help. We have evidence that someone who rented a van from you kidnapped a police officer last night and were wondering if you could help us identify the person."

"Absolutely, what kind of vehicle was it?"

"A dark colored Ford van with a partial plate number FG8." The computer revealed the obvious.

"Yes, that van was rented yesterday morning and it was paid for with cash. I do remember when he came in. Most places don't accept cash anymore and even then, it's rare for someone to pay that way."

"Can you describe the person?"

"Tall, white, built, just looked like any other person. But, there was something off about him. He didn't say anything wrong, but I just got this sense that something was off. Like there was an ulterior motive."

"Would you be able to describe him to a sketch artist?"

"I can certainly try."

"Thank you Stuart, we really appreciate it. Oh, can we have copy of his lease agreement?" The copy was printing as Atwater's phone rang, the two excused themselves.

"What's up," Atwater asked as they got back in the car.

"We got something back on the note. You need to get back here."

"10-4, we also have a copy of the rental agreement for comparison," Kim stated as Atwater turned the key in the ignition.

…

The report on the note was not hopeful. The techs were able to match it to one Victor Diaz, a convicted criminal who spent time in prison for robbery and manslaughter. While he used an alias to rent the van, the techs were able to confirm it was him who rented the vehicle yesterday morning. The first piece to their puzzle. However, it was when they investigated his background that things took a dark turn. The computer revealed a name and everyone gasped. Kim excused herself to go relieve her stomach in the bathroom. The rest stood in total shock, wide eyed with hands over their mouths.

"Raymond Bataglio? The Vanisher? I thought he was a myth," Antonio commented.

"No, I thought they captured him like ten years ago and put in a maximum security facility."

"Well clearly, he's not," Voight commented. Bataglio was rumored to be a criminal mastermind, a mob lord, or both. His organization was said to dabble in many things: sex trafficking, drugs, gun running, anything with a high price tag, he was involved. His nickname came from the evidence he left behind: nothing. People would mysteriously disappear from their lives and never be found. No note, no biological evidence, not even a corpse. It was as if the person had never existed. Legend had it that he would kidnap people for his personal gain and then murder them in a vat of acid, leaving them alive long enough to experience the most excruciating pain in their final moments. How they awoke this mystery monster was unknown. If this was the guy that had Adam, a miraculous intervening would be the only way to see their friend and colleague again, dead or alive. Voight instructed the team to expand their missing person report to every state in the country. Furthermore, they got Bataglio's face on every news network, airport terminal, train station, and bus depot. Would it create mass panic? Perhaps. It didn't matter, this guy needed to be public enemy number one.

…

The loud opera music awoke Adam from his shivering sleep. Still dressed in his jeans and long sleeved shirt, he spent the next several hours shivering, sleeping, and awakening from the swelling pain all over his body. The sessions grew progressively worse. From the stabbing, he was electrocuted by the car battery, seared with a hot blade, and continuously punched; not to mention the drug induced pain. His body was speckled with various shades of blue, blood, and he had a twinge of burnt smell on him. It got to a point where Bataglio was able to know where Adam's limits were and would push till just below that point, causing him to be alert the entire time. Adam was amazed he was still alive and functioning at this point. Normal people didn't survive this kind of thing. It was something you saw in movies but never imagined occurring in real life. The music above him made him instantly tremble. He'd never be able to hear the music again without his skin crawling. The cellar door flew open and heavy footsteps began clunking down the steps. Adam readied himself for the next round.

Bataglio sat in front of Adam with a steaming bowl of spaghetti. Let's remember that Adam hasn't eaten in over a day. He practically drooled at the sight of the plate. It was dripping in sauce and the meatballs were massive. His body was quaking at the smell and his heart rate picked up. Externally, he just glared at Batalgio. His stubborn self still refusing to give in. It was a mind game now. His captor spun a fork in the bowl and held it above Adam's face. Ignoring all the screaming sirens in his mind, Adam didn't move or blink, just fixing his eyes on the person in front of him.

"I'll let you eat all of this and then you can leave, if you answer my question." Getting zero feedback, Bataglio turned the fork towards himself and swallowed the forkful, exaggerating the goodness of the food. He could see a hint of tears forming in his prey's eye.

"When was the last time you had something to eat? Surely, you're starving by now." As he devoured the plate of food, he examined his handiwork of the day. The kid was so close to breaking, just a few more digs into his mind before he spilled.

"Your team is impressive. Jay Halstead, a former Army Ranger. Antonio Dawson, a great detective. What made him come back to Intelligence? Hank Voight, a crooked cop turned good, and Hailey Upton, a well known detective in the force. And there's you, Kevin Atwater, and Kim Burgess, three great cops looking to reach detective status soon. Well, correction, only two of you will probably reach that goal." Bataglio smiled at Adam, hoping to stir up some emotion. Nothing.

"I have to hand it to you, Adam, you've surpassed my expectations. I was convinced you'd have cracked after the car battery. Your training has done you well." A silent, zoned out Adam was all he got. Bataglio stood and headed for the door, hesitating before pulling on the handle.

"How's Kim doing these days? Are you two officially a couple again?" Adam cracked. He tugged at his restraints and wiggled in the chair, screaming profanity at him. In that moment, Adam forwent any training tactics, not caring if the guy finally found his weak spot. Bataglio laughed and instructed the strong arms to drag Adam back to his stall. Adam fought for a moment before the familiar stinging pain landed on the back on his neck. His unconscious body was pulled up the stairs and dragged across the gravel drive, the rocks cutting up his skin along the way. He remembers awakening shortly after the stable door was bolted shut. He grabbed for the horse blanket and sobbed, fully expecting this to be his final night on earth and unable to warn the others of the incoming trouble. He didn't care if they heard him or if they used it against him. This was it, and he was sincerely frightened.

…

Day two began identical to day one: a hard slap to the face and a blindfold thrown over his head. Unlike yesterday, Adam didn't react much to their wake up call. It was another miserable, sleepless night for Adam. Thoughts and fears ran wild for most of the night, with the cold temperatures keeping him at a consistent shivering. The few hours of sleep he did manage seemed to make everything worse. Every fiber of his being screamed with pain. Blinking was a chore. Breathing was made him wince with every inhale. As he was dragged across the gravel ground, he honestly thought dying would be easier on his body. He was now two days without food or drink. His body stopped telling him about his hunger and was now surviving off of stored fat and muscle, resulting in a massive headache and virtually no drive to move anything. He was thrown down the cellar steps and repositioned on his chair from yesterday. The same IVs were put back in his arm and the same female stood by his side. Bataglio emerged from the cellar steps and walked past Adam silently. No greeting today, just an angry glare as he picked up the long instrument on the table: a six inch knife. Adam couldn't help but feel this was the end of his testing.

"You know, I'm really getting tired of your little antics. So, we're kicking things up a notch." Bataglio drove the blade through Adam's upper thigh, far enough up to make him flinch. The white hot level of pain erupted through his body. Despite everything from yesterday, this pain level reached a new high. Tears streamed down Adam's face as Bataglio removed the blade and poked the tip into the middle of his stomach. Adam wanted to curse this guy into another universe, but everything in him was too concerned with the blood seeping out from his leg. He wasn't sure if an artery was nicked or severed, but the amount of blood escaping was troubling.

"WHAT IS MY NAME!" During his entire stay, Bataglio had never reached this level of fury. It all clicked in Adam's mind. He got into the demon's head. Something happened overnight that caused him to snap. The journey was hellish, but it was worth it. Adam had won the war.

"I don't know," he half whispered, preparing himself for what was about to happen next. It only took a second, but it was the worst one of his life. Adam blinked and had an object sticking out of his body. Looking back, Adam doesn't know what inspired his next actions. In the far corner of his mind, some little voice told him it was time. It whispered truth into the situation. If Adam didn't break for it now, he would not make it out of this alive. Simultaneously, his body found another gear. Amongst all the pain, aches, and weakness, his body was giving him the green light, readying the boosters for liftoff. _Let's ride_.

Adam smiled at Bataglio before head butting the woman behind him, causing her to double over in pain. His newfound strength broke him free from the plastic zip ties and grabbed the blade out from his stomach, turning it towards his attacker and into his gut. Bataglio stumbled for a moment before going down, unconscious in seconds. Adam ripped the restraints off his legs and readied himself for the two strong arms coming towards him. He reached for the knife in Bataglio and met one of the thug's neck with the blade, putting him next to his boss. A syringe was placed into the arm of the remaining thug, leaving him too consumed with his pain to notice Adam sprinting for the cellar door. The whole thing took forty seconds. Forty seconds decided living and dying. Adam had the door slightly ajar when a voice from below spoke.

"What are you doing standing there? Get him!" Adam ignored the warning sirens beeping in his mind and bolted. There were footsteps slowly marching up the stairs and his lead was shrinking. He stood on the gravel driveway for a moment before choosing his direction. This was the first time he saw where he'd been for the last two days. It was a cold, cloudy, dreary day. The farm was exactly how you'd picture it. The farmhouse was at the apex of a large rounded driveway with paths leading to the endless corn fields, barns, and pastures. As he suspected, there wasn't a single road or phone pole out here. The driveway seemed to span into eternity. Everything was silent. Only the swaying of tree limbs and the occasional snort from an animal interrupted the world's stillness. There was a single tree in the middle of the cow pasture. It was large and sturdy with its' leaves a vibrant red hue. Beyond the pasture was a wooded section, Adam instinctively chose that as his way out, rolling under the fence and full out sprinting for the wooded path. He could hear screaming from one of the thugs but kept running. There was no way he'd lose a race with that guy. Adam heard a shotgun being loaded and the familiar boom of its' release. Adam didn't care if he got hit. He just kept running towards his imaginary finish line.

It was when he stepped on a branch for the first time that he recognized his lack of shoes. His feet matched the rest of his body: bruised, bloody, and in dire pain. His slowed his gate to a steady walk, being cautious to avoid the prickly nature of the wooded floor. The next several hours were a slow, methodical march. The adrenaline gradually died down and the realization of his injuries kicked in. His breaks between walking grew closer together. He'd just sit on the ground and loudly groan, pushing himself to keep going. Dying in the woods wasn't an option, despite its' temptation. He had a life to fight for, people who needed him to get out of this. The man who did this to him had to be held accountable and he was the only person that could make that happen. He'd mumble random things to himself, verbally telling his body to shut up and move. It was an out of body experience and one he certainly didn't want to reenact. He was thankful for the times that Jay or Antonio would push him to do more. While their goal was to make him accomplish something great, the side effect of that was establishing a stubborn, determined mentality in him. If he ever saw them again, he'd make sure to thank them for not letting him quit. One of his earlier stops included shredding his shirt and wrapping sections around his waist and leg. The bleeding was making him drowsy and colder than usual. He knew this wasn't a smart move, but given the choice between freezing and bleeding out, he chose living. This was the reminder of his day: walking silently, stumbling into a sitting position, and then forcing himself upright and repeating the process again.

The world's light was dipping into the ground when he heard the victorious sound of friction on something hard: tires hitting pavement at a high rate of speed. The sound was sweet music to his ears. For awhile there, he expected to spend the night under a tree. He picked up the pace and ran for freedom. Tears streamed down his face as he witnessed the beautiful sight in front of him. Cars were steadily moving on the road, headlights dancing against the wet glow of the road. As Adam ran to the asphalt's edge, he imagined he looked like a zombie emerging from the dead. A shirtless, shivering zombie, but he didn't care. Someone would stop for the world's scariest site, he hoped. Stepping into the middle of a lane, he placed his hands in the air and began waving. His arms were beyond weak and the motioning made them scream. He didn't care if he got hit or assistance. Any option was better then his current predicament. He fell to his knees and closed his eyes as headlights grew closer, readying himself for anything. Tires screeched just ahead and a car horn sounded right in his face. Opening his eyes, the car in question was about a foot in front of him. He slowly rose to and steadied himself against the vehicle. The heat from the car hood burned against his cold hand, but he didn't care. His ticket to life arrived. The woman in the car was shell shocked. She held her hands in the air and screamed. Adam slowly walked to the driver's window and motioned for her to put the window down. By now, a line of traffic was forming behind her but they all seemed to not care about their travels. They were too consumed with the sight in front of them. With a shaking hand, the woman in the car obeyed the frightening person's request at her window.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you. I need to use your phone. Please." Adam was breathless at this point, the roughness of his throat made speaking next to impossible. The women took a moment to process before handing him her cell phone. Adam actually cried as he dialed.

"911, what's your emergency?" Adam smiled, wiping away tears before responding.

"My name is Adam Ruzek and I'm…a police officer for the Chicago Police Department. I need you to tell Hank Voight I'm alive and let them know where I am." The woman in the car stared at Adam dumbfounded, her mouth gaping open. He rubbed his free hand over his forehead, still struck by the realization that this was all happening.

"You're the person from the news. Everyone is looking for you." Adam quizzically looked at her while she pulled over to the shoulder and unlocked the doors, motioning for Adam to get in. He willingly obliged. Adam was shaking, almost convulsing, as he waited for the operator to pick up his location. The woman offered him a bottle of water from her cup holder. There wasn't much left, but Adam didn't care. It was the best, and first, thing he'd had in days.

"We have your location and have alerted your boss." Adam thanked the operator before handing the phone back to the woman in the car. She just took in his battered, ghastly looking body, clearly still in shock.

"Thank you, thank you. I don't know what else to say.."

"-You're welcome." Adam took a quick scan of his new environment.

"Where are we?"

"Parkington, Michigan. You need a hospital," she finally admitted. Adam laughed while nodding. The woman put her car in drive and floored it, occasionally looking at the man now unconscious on her passenger seat. He made it. His mission was complete. Adam Ruzek accomplished something no one thought possible. It took everything ounce of strength in him to claw and dig his way out, but here he was. While there was still a shroud of fear knowing Bataglio was still out there, he didn't care. He survived the worst scenario possible. Bataglio no longer had control over his' fate. Now Adam just had to deal with the aftermath of it all.

 **So, a lot happened. We also may have stretched the limitations of the human body here. Thank you for reading this! Please let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- A Vision Of Blue

The hours between receiving the call from dispatch to arriving at the hospital in Michigan were a blur of events. The team was suiting up to hit a location when Voight's phone rang. Everyone was on pins and needles, watching Voight nod and grunt during the call. It was when he hung up that he did something total out of character: he smiled. Unadulterated elation went through everyone while Voight told them of Adam's status and location. From there, it was a series of questions pertaining to Adam's health and how soon they could get to him. Voight's answer was simple: dispatch didn't say. All that mattered was getting to Adam quickly. Platt arranged for a chopper to fly them to Michigan and land on the hospital's helipad. Kim volunteered to pack a bag for Adam while the rest of the team packed their tact gear, case files, and overnight bags, fully expecting to be camped out in the area for awhile.

They'd all admit they felt a little like movie stars as they piled into the chopper and began their ascent into the dark skies. It was nine thirty now and their ETA was quarter to midnight. On the way, they received word from the hospital that Adam was in critical condition and in surgery. Strangely enough, everyone was at peace with this. Adam was alive and fighting, it was more than what they expected. Voight contacted the police in the area to get an update on Bataglio. Parkington was a small, quiet town that didn't have a large police force. This case became the biggest one in the area in more than a decade. Therefore, they weren't prepared for the necessary security and investigation that the big city task force expected. Voight offered their services and the sheriff gladly accepted. They learned that Adam was found on the eastbound side of U.S. Highway 2 by a young woman named Rebecca Townsend. She gave a statement to the police about where she found Adam, but was not sure where he journeyed from. The person lying in an operating room was the only one who could answer those questions. The remainder of the trip was silent, each person processing. While they were elated Adam was alive and safe, they had no idea what the next steps looked like. All they could do was be thankful for what had transpired thus far and be willing to help Adam. As long as he was alive, that was enough. They'd all help him overcome this.

The sudden bump from the touchdown on the helipad woke everyone up, their senses kicking back into gear. The rotary blades were slowing as the team opened the doors and climbed out. The sheriff and a hospital staff member were waiting on the other side of the roof, nearest to the door. Intelligence exchanged names and handshakes before heading into the building. The hospital was small and aged. That wasn't meant as a negative description, but more of a fact. It was a step back from the high tech, vast hospitals in Chicago. However, this placed housed people who were able to help Adam. Regardless of their equipment, these people were just as capable and willing to help as anyone in the industry. For that, Intelligence was grateful for their role in this story. The place was dimly lit and quiet, encouraging it's residents to sleep. Everyone was ushered into a waiting room just off the OR doors. There was a young, scared looking female sitting in the corner of the room: Rebecca Townsend. Intelligence was touched by her volunteering of her time and waiting. The team settled into chairs before asking the obvious.

"How is he," Voight inquired? The hospital staff member took that one.

"He came into the ER unconscious and in severe shock. His body was malnourished and dehydrated. Furthermore, he showed obvious signs of extreme trauma. The doctors administered fluids and a banana bag to begin the replenishing process and then sent him up to radiation for scans. He wasn't in a life threatening state and the doctors wanted a better understanding of everything before proceeding with his treatment. The patient regained consciousness during an MRI and was belligerent, thrashing violently and unresponsive to commands. It became clear that in addition to physical trauma, the patient suffered psychological injuries. In order to prevent additional harm, the doctor sedated the patient with Haldol and he's currently on several antipsychotic medications." The staff member paused for a moment, letting everything sink in. While they expected Adam to have physical injures, no one was expecting Adam's mental state to be that traumatized. They were equally heartbroken and enraged, minds running rampant on what all happened the last two days. It was going to take a lot of restraint to not let this case get personal.

"Once sedated, the tests revealed several puncture wounds, severe abrasions, numerous bruises and two stab wounds. He's in surgery now to repair the damage from the stabbing and punctures and control his internal bleeding. He's been in there for about four hours so they should be done soon." Everyone nodded and glanced around at their neighbors. It was a lot to swallow. No one said anything, but they all got the gist. Adam was different. Could he overcome this event? Certainly. But there would always be the memory, the scarring of this terrible nightmare. In that moment, they weren't entirely sure how to go from here. The staff member rose and everyone followed suit.

"I'm very sorry about this, everyone. We'll do everything we can do get him, and all of you, through this. Please don't hesitate to ask anyone here for anything." And with that, she left the room. Hailey turned her attention to Rebecca.

"We owe you…a lot of things. Thank you for stopping and saving Adam."

"Absolutely. I was so terrified when I first saw him. At first, I thought it was a kid trying to play a sick joke. Remember when people used to dress up as clowns and show up at random places? I thought it was something like that," Rebecca slightly rambled. Hailey smiled while listening.

"So what made you help him?"

"When he got closer to the window, I could tell it wasn't a prank. I could see it in his eyes, he was desperate. A person clearly in trouble and at the end of his rope. From there, human instincts kicked in." Kim reached into her bag and pulled out a photo of Raymond Bataglio, turning the glossy page towards to Rebecca.

"Do you recognize this man?" Rebecca studied the paper for a moment, her face in a surprised manner.

"Yeah, that's Mr. Dean! He has a big farm not too far from here. He shops around here all the time. He's a sweet guy who kind of keeps to himself. His family is big in the sausage business and…wait, you don't think.."

"What's his first name?"

"Jimmy, Jimmy Dean the third." The room was silent for a moment.

"Rebecca, his real name is Raymond Bataglio. He's a dangerous criminal who's connected to several criminal activities across the Midwest. I'm sorry, but the man yo know is a fake, an alias," Antonio informed. He gestured to the sheriff.

"Do you know where this farm is?" He nodded.

"Yeah, it's about twenty miles from here. The woods close to where she found your officer actually bump up to his property. We'll go check it out." The sheriff rose and headed out for the door. Rebecca was crying by now. Kim offered her a hug and tissue.

"I'm sorry, I get that I shouldn't be upset over someone I don't know, but it was awful, scary. You're sure this Bataglio guy is responsible?" They all nodded. The remainder of their wait was quiet. Kim and Hailey tried to comfort Rebecca while the rest of the team rested their eyes. It was becoming apparent that sleep wasn't going to happen much in the near future, so they had to take the opportunity when it arose. It was around one AM when the door opened. The surgeon who worked on Adam stood in front of the group.

"Hey everyone, Adam pulled through and is resting up in recovery. We're going to keep him sedated for the next day just to let his body rest. He'll start weaning him off the drugs probably tomorrow evening and then see what happens. He's been through the wringer. The stab wound to his stomach injured about thirty percent of his liver and unfortunately, we had to remove a good portion of the organ." Kim interrupted the report with a gasp. Everyone turned to her before the doctor spoke again.

"I understand that's unsettling, but the liver is an amazing organ because it can regenerate. In a couple of months, it should return to normal size. The wound to his leg did nick an artery but was a slow bleed. We were able to repair the damage and he should regain full strength of the leg after the swelling goes down. He did also have several puncture wounds that were infected. We de-bribed the areas and closed the wounds, he's on strong antibiotics but shouldn't have any lasting issues. He also lost a tooth at some point so we cleaned the area and an oral surgeon can place a cap or veneer in the spot in about a week or so. He has numerous bruises all over his body and his hands suffered severe trauma."

"Severe how," Jay asked? The doctor hesitated before answering.

"He's missing seven fingernails. It'll take about six months for them to grow back. In the meantime, we bandaged them and administered doses of lidocaine. His hands are going to be in pain for the next day or so." The group just stared in disbelief, each trying to not puke at the doctor's feet.

"I'm sorry you all are having to go through this. I've worked out here for twenty years now and I can say with certainty this is the worst trauma I've ever seen. He's got a lot of recovering to do. We're going to keep him here in a psych hold for seventy-two hours and keep him medicated for for two days. On top of his physical injuries, the mental ones are that much worse. He needs you guys more than you may realize. He may seem different, but he's going to be looking for normalcy. Just being there will help tremendously. He'll be transferred to the ICU shortly. We'll come get you when he's settled." The doctor nodded and left the room, leaving the group to wrestle with their sorrow, rage, and determination.

Rebecca left shortly afterwards, claiming she didn't want to get in the way of their time with Adam. Honestly, the team was half jealous of her. Perhaps if they left, then none of this would be true. They shooed those ideas away. This was reality and there was no avoiding it.

Kim took the lead while the others followed behind. Her and Adam's rekindled love was no longer a secret and the group respectfully let her have alone time with him. The nurse guided them down a long, quiet hallway to a room on the right hand side. Unlike at Med, these rooms weren't encased in glass. There was a sliding door with a single window surrounded by drywall. As Kim entered the room, the rest of them stood around the doorway, not ready to see their fallen comrade.

The first thing that ran through Kim's mind was that Adam looked different. Seeing him in a hospital room, as a patient, was a first. His bed was slightly raised and his body was relaxed almost. He was not a vision _in_ , but _of_ blue. His face was swollen and covered in bruises. The other parts of his body that she could see were identical to the bruising on his face. He was not intubated but did have a tube under his nose that tucked behind his head. In one of his nostrils was a feeding tube that was taped to the side of his cheek. From there, he had three IVs in his arms and a good amount of monitors on his chest, each letting the world know Adam was still present and fighting. The hospital gown was lose around his body and messed up, she figured it was that way in case they had to access something quickly. Kim examined the numerous dressings, butterfly bandages, monitor screens, and IV stands before concluding this: the Adam she knew wasn't ever coming back. Too much had happened for him to be exactly the same as before. She gently picked up his right hand, wary of the bandages on each finger, and read the hospital band on his wrist. While she recognized the name, everything else was different. Tears were flowing as she leaned over to kiss his forehead, getting nothing in return. She shunned the fear and doubts. She loved his man, no matter what life did to him. They'd find a way to get through this.

One by one, Intelligence filed into the room, each examining Adam before finding a place to rest. Kim claimed a reclining chair while the rest selected couches and chairs in a waiting room somewhere on the floor. The reminder of the night was silent. There was nothing more that could be done in the dark. Now was the time to ready oneself for the challenge ahead. The light would reveal it's truth eventually.

…

Their day did not begin with the rising sun, but rather, the vibrating noise coming from Voight's phone. He rubbed his eyes to read the time on his phone: 6:37 AM. The number was not one he recognized, but had a Michigan area code, so he answered.

"This is Voight," he gruffly whispered, trying his best to keep everyone around him asleep. Alas, it didn't work. Moans and stiff body movements were happening as he listened to the voice on the other end.

"Sorry to wake you, but this is sheriff Woodley. We found the farm and wanted to show you something. I'm sending one of my officer over with an SUV for you guys. He should be there in about thirty minutes." Voight thanked the sheriff before hanging up.

"Everybody up. We've got work to do." The scene in the waiting room was comical. There were blankets, pillows, and clothing scattered everywhere. Bags not being used for bedding were thrown in a pile against a wall. One would've thought it was a girls slumber party rather than a group of adults catching some shut eye for a few hours. Hailey and Voight chose one of the two couches while Antonio put chairs together to form a bed. Jay and Atwater clumped their bags together to make a mattress on the floor. Scanning the tired, stiff bodies slowly emerging from their makeshift beds, it was clear that no one had a decent four hours of sleep.

"They found something at the farm and someone's coming to pick us up. Someone needs to tell Kim we're leaving." Atwater volunteered and began shuffling down the hall. He stood at the doorway for a second before going in. Adam was still asleep, but looked peaceful, despite the visual reminders of his last few days. It was an awful trick, knowing that things weren't peaceful and ok for him. Atwater quietly slid the door open and walked over to Kim's chair, replacing the blanket that fell off of her. She flinched at the cloth touching her skin. She blinked a couple of times before sitting up, immediately looking over at Adam, placing her hand on his arm.

"Hey, hey sorry. He's fine. Voight wanted me to tell you that were leaving in a few minutes and we'll be back at some point today." Kim relaxed a little and nodded, clearly still out of it. Atwater turned and headed for the door, Kim stopping him as he placed his hand on the handle.

"Where are you guys going?"

"The farm."

"Oh…keep me updated?" Atwater nodded.

"Absolutely, you do the same."

…

The ride from the hospital to the farm was a thirty minute show displaying the world's beauty. It was late fall and Michigan's best was on full display. The sun was just beginning to peak through the horizon, fog settling over the ground. Trees whose leaves hadn't fallen off yet were radiating various shades of red, orange, yellow. The passing fields were harvested by now and straw was blanketing the fields. The endless fields and white silos were a stark contrast from the grey concrete jungle the team was accustomed to. They really would've enjoyed the drive had the weight of the world not been on their minds. It was a shame evil had to occur here. This area of the country was truly stunning. They briefly stopped along U.S. Highway 2 to observe the spot where Adam was found, taking note of the woods that he trekked through for hours. From that point, it was a five mile journey to the long, secluded, gravel driveway. Unless one was looking for it, you'd have never been able to find this place on your own. Now knowing who resided here, it was clear to see why Bataglio chose this spot to conduct his business. They all were restless as the vehicle slowly rolled up the two mile driveway. They tried their best to keep the personal side of this case out of their minds. Adam couldn't be helped if they were too busy being upset and shocked.

The car can to a stop at the front of the house and everyone quickly climbed out, taking in the magnificence of the farmhouse and the land surrounding it. Lab techs and police officers from surrounding counties were here examining and documenting the crime scenes. Sheriff Woodley met them at the farmhouse steps and gave them a tour of the home. The kitchen was a mess. Pots, pans, and dishes were stacked on the counter and sink. The radio still blaring it's opera music. Antonio made sure to turn the radio volume dial down to zero. Everything was dusty and smelled of garlic. From there they went through the family room, study, and dining room, finding similar things: dust, aged news paper articles, and cash. Clearly, Bataglio was an old school, loaded mobster. It was when they ventured upstairs that things got creepy. The master bedroom was polar opposite from the rest of the house in that it was clean, spotless. Every piece of furniture and furnishing was modern and sleek, not a spect of dust or dirt to be seen. This must've been where Raymond resided. Why this single room was kept up was a total guess. Then the sheriff ushered them over to the room farthest down the hall.

First of all, it was hard to open because he kept the door bolted, the key nowhere to be found. It took several kicks to finally get the thing to budge. The light switch was found, revealing the reason for the bolt. The walls were covered in surveillance photos and maps. Upon closer inspection, Intelligence's reflection was staring right at them. Bataglio had mapped out each person's life over the last few months. There was information about their residences, cars, commutes, and photos of them on the job, out in the city, and even some of them at home. Chills were crawling galore at this point.

"This took a lot of time and help," Jay observed as the rest of them nodded, too creeped out to speak.

"Yeah. Adam wasn't chosen at random. He intended to take him first. Probably thinking he'd break first," Hailey commented. Voight excused himself and headed for the stairs. No need to see what he already knew. This guy was coming after him via his team. He stood on the porch, waiting for the rest of them to catch up. Woodley emerged last, taking the back of the pack.

"I'm sorry folks. I can imagine that was difficult.."

"- Where was he tortured," Voight interrupted. Sheriff Woodley exhaled before guiding the tour around the back of the house to a set of doors leaning against the house, leading to a room underneath.

"I'm sure you're prepared for this, but I must warn you, it's gruesome." He held the door open for them as they carefully headed down the stairs, wary of the low ceilings. They walked past shelves of jars before coming up on a scene they wished they could forget.

The lights were dim and occasionally blinking. There were two chairs sitting across from each other, IV stands sitting opposite one of the chairs. A table was in the middle of the room and several blood stained instruments were scattered across the flat surface. A tray was thrown on the floor and syringes were covering the dusty ground. But what really shook them was the amount of blood on one of the chairs and the IV needles dangling from the end of the tubing. They didn't need a guidebook to get what all transpired here, what Adam went through down here was hell. No sane person would ever wish this on their worst enemy, let alone a fellow human being. They all were fighting back tears, foregoing their desire to remain neutral. Their friend should've died here. It was nothing but divine intervention that got him out of this evil hole in the ground.

"Where's the body," Atwater asked? The sheriff gave him a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?"

"Bataglio, where's his body? The amount of blood over here is inconsistent with where Adam was situated. Plus, no one losing this much blood could've broken out of here."

"We never recovered his body. When we arrived, there was a body down here, but it was a younger man we're still identifying. We don't know where Raymond Bataglio is." Intelligence was a mixed bag of emotions, ranging from shocked to irate. The guy who did this was on the lose and, once again, hours ahead of them. It didn't take long to figure out the likely scenario.

"You have to lock Adam's room down, the whole floor actually. No one is allowed in there without our approval. Call Kim, tell her we're on our way back." It was a full out, sirens flashing, dash to the hospital. Intelligence let the crew at the farm do their thing. Adam was a sitting duck right now and they was no way they'd let Bataglio get another swipe at him.

…

They stationed people outside the hospital entrances, elevators, access points on the ICU floor, and outside Adam's door. Each guard was armed and in constant communication with the others. While it made life around the ICU floor a little hectic, it was a necessary setback. Kim remained in the room at all times, her weapon loaded but tucked away. It felt like they were having a nightmare inside of a nightmare. Just when they thought the uncertainty and danger was over, a new wave of it all crept out of nowhere. The doctor gave the go-ahead to take Adam off the sedatives during the a visit in the early evening. Adam was still at first, but didn't take long for him to begin surfacing back to consciousness. It started with eye twitches and subtle limb movements and then transitioned into turning his head and mumbling in his sleep. It was late at night when his eyes fluttered opened for the first time. There was a moment of normalcy before the mental injury reared it's ugly head. Kim was talking to Antonio at the door when she noticed the body in the bed moving. Adam's eyes were blinking and roving as she sat on the left side of his bed. He looked nervous, scared almost before focusing on the smiling face in front of him.

"Hey Adam, can you hear me?" Kim reached to touch his hand and he flinched away. Her smile quickly faded. He was scared to be touched. She inched closer to him.

"It's ok, you're in the hospital. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you." His eyes were glassed over from the various drugs circulating through his system. His movements were lagged as well. But there was something off about him, robotic almost. His first words weren't to greet her, but pertained to what happened to him.

"Why's Antonio outside the door?" Adam tried to sit up but was met by sharp pains. He winced and began to hyperventilate. Kim wasn't sure how to respond without touching him. The only option was to talk, hopefully he'd recognize her calmness.

"He's just guarding the door. We're just taking extra precaution. Please lie down, Adam. You don't need to tear any of the stitches." She intentionally left out the part where the demon who did this to him was on the loose. Adam closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe; loudly inhaling and exhaling. It took a minute, but he eventually settled back against the pillows. A nurse appeared in the room and the freaking out began again. Her adjusting of the IV bags drew his attention to the ports in his arms.

"No. No, no, no, I can't…I…" He began pulling the IVs out, blood dripping down his arm. Kim and the nurse forwent his fear of being touched and grabbed his hands, one holding him down while the other tried distracting.

"Adam, you can't take those out. Please calm down or you'll have to be sedated." He ignored the warning and kept thrashing, his eyes wet with tears. Kim just stared at her love as he relaxed and zoned out to Haldol's forceful slumber. Antonio was at the door the whole time observing.

"We found evidence that he was drugged through IV ports. Sorry, I didn't think he'd freak out over those." Kim slowly nodded while new lines were inserted into Adam's bruised arms. If this is what life with Adam was going to be like, she was petrified. She didn't know the details of his last few days, but seeing a glimpse into the aftermath made he mind wander, wondering how bad things were that he ended up this way. Of course, she wasn't mad him. There was nothing he could to do prevent things that were out of control. She was sad for whatever was permanently lost, angry at the person who caused this. Adam slept for another hour or so while Kim lost was in her thoughts. She knew Adam would get over his physical injuries, but the silent, invisible ones in his mind were tricky. She honestly didn't have much experience in this area and really didn't know how to proceed from here. A soft, 'hey,' broke her train of thought.

"Hey, sleepy head. How are you feeling?"

"Um, I need to talk to Voight." She detected the lack of personalty behind his comment.

"Ok, I'll go get him." She was almost out the door when Adam stopped her.

"Wait, don't leave." Ah, there he was. She stood there for a second, taking in his scared, sad expression. She wasn't sure if he meant the statement in a short or long term sense. She moved to her usual spot on the bed.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll text Voight and let him know."

As she typed, Adam just zoned out, taking in his new surroundings. He was physically and emotionally spent. He didn't recognize anything around him apart from Kim. He knew who she was and what she meant to him. But he wasn't ready to trust anyone or anything at the moment. He couldn't decipher his fear from reality, the demons from the angels. And that scared him more than the torturing itself. Bataglio broke him, forcing him to a place that was reserved for the worst moments of his life. Now having been there and come back, he wasn't sure how to proceed. He wasn't afraid of what he looked like or what was injured, it was knowing if he could ever be himself again; joke with the guys and truly love his girl. Maybe the drugs he was on were cloudy his thought process, but at that time, he didn't know what do next.

…

It was Voight, sheriff Woodley, and the rest of Intelligence in the room listening to Adam's report, recorders and note pads at the ready. Adam was surprisingly calm as he told of his journey to the farm, his first night, the torturing sessions, and how he escaped. There where times he'd pause or have a shakiness in his voice, but he didn't leave a detail out. It was his next mission: telling his side of story in order to see Bataglio pay. He kept playing with these white square pads on this arms while he spoke, only stoping when Kim shook her head. They were covering the re-inserted IV lines and it was only way they'd stay in without Adam freaking out. The nurses were relying on the old saying, 'out of sight, out of mind.' It was working thus far.

While everyone wore a poker face, inside, they were an emotional wreck. Adam's voice still had that robotic, emotionless sound to it, but this was the first time everyone felt like he was in the room. It was a time of clarity. Hearing himself verbally say what happened really put the last few days into perspective. What happened was tragic, evil even, but he was here, he was in the post-op side of it all. This time was a crucial rebuilding part of Adam's story. Once his statement was documented, he turned the questioning on his guests. The question was simple, yet loaded.

"What happens now?" They all kind of looked down the line, encouraging someone else to figure that one out.

"You get some rest and focus on getting out of here. Let us deal with the case. We've got it," Antonio finally answered. That was all it took. Adam just nodded and relax on the pillows. He was fighting sleep and exhaustion for awhile there and was delighted to get the go-ahead to fall asleep. His eyes were slowly blinking as the group ushered out, quietly saying their goodbyes and waving. Kim waited till the room was clear to find a semi-comfortable spot on the chair.

"Goodnight, Adam. Love you." She looked over to witness a quick smile appear on his tired face.

Those working on the case held a meeting in their sleeping quarters. Now knowing everything that happened, it became apparent that they needed to relocate.

"I don't care what hoops we have to jump through or papers to sign, we've gotta get him out of this area soon. Like tomorrow morning if that's manageable."

"He just woke up and is still heavily medicated, we can't just grab him and leave."

"Plus, where would we take him? We can't bring back to Chicago. Bataglio will be expecting that."

"But he can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

"We can't change his environment that quickly. It'll only freak him out more." Voight held his hand up and everyone was immediately silenced.

"He's leaving. That's not for debate. I will get in contact with the people at Med to discuss another hospital that is capable of handling his recovering. Once we find that place, not a word gets mentioned. We'll also need to create an alias for him. We have a window of opportunity here, let's not waste it shooting the breeze. Let's get to work."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Looking For Normalcy

 **We're going to have some fun in this chapter. Even the darkest, most suspenseful movies have some light moments every now and then. I hope you enjoy! Let's get after it.**

The premise of the plan seemed simple. It was the little details that made everything interesting. They called it Operation Normalcy. Through the night, Intelligence was assigned different aspects of the operation. Voight was on the phone for hours with Med, tracking down a hospital that would fit Adam's needs that was close enough to travel by helicopter yet be far enough away from Bataglio's detection. A winner was picked around five AM: Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. From there, Atwater was responsible for getting the transportation arrangements settled. Hailey was tasked with working with the hospital to get Adam discharged and transferred to the new location, keeping the number of people involved at a minimum. She also received the task for creating Adam's alias. Antonio got the assignment of moving the case forward. Once Adam was out of harm's way, their goal was to lure Bataglio in. And finally, Jay was the head of security. He'd travel with Adam and Kim to the new hospital and stay with them till they all reconvened in Minneapolis. Because if there's any one person that can handle a dangerous situation, it's Jay Halstead. The sky was pitch black when they stirred Kim out of a deep sleep, letting her know the helicopter was fifteen minutes out. Time to wake up the patient.

"Adam…Adam, hey you've gotta wake up." Kim spoke over his head in a semi-hushed voice, trying to not startle him, but getting him out of a sound asleep state. One eye slowly blinked opened followed by a groan.

"Adam, we're getting out of here in a couple of minutes and you need to change. Do you need help?"

"…What?! Why are we leaving?"

"I'll explain when we're in the air. Please get up. We've gotta move." Still pretty out of it, Adam slowly worked his way to a sitting position, a look of pain the entire time. He managed to hang his legs off the bed before turning to the pile of clothes next to him. A nurse undid the IV lines and monitor leads, keeping the ports and circle pads attached to his skin. Removing the hospital gown revealed an array of bruises, dressings, and burn marks on his body. Kim closed her eyes for a second before proceeding with the packing. She tried her best to not show her shock in an effort to not upset Adam. He took everything in before looking up at her.

"It's ok, you're going to be fine. Do you need help?" He shook his head while unbuttoning a shirt. He managed to get a sleeve on before sharply inhaling with pain, grabbing one of the incision sites on his stomach. Kim gently took the shirt and held the other sleeve next to his other arm.

"I'm not touching. Just put it through slowly." It was easy to see his uneasiness, but he obeyed. He just sat in silence while she buttoned the shirt, trying her best to let him know everything was fine. She repeated the process with his pants and shoes, running the clothing on his body without making any contact with the skin.

A soft knock at the door interrupted the room's silence. Jay stuck his head through the door.

"You guys ready? Chopper's here and we gotta roll like…now." A wheelchair was brought in and stopped at the end of the bed. Jay excused himself while Adam stood. Correction, tried to stand. It was amazing and startling to him how weak he was. Two days ago, he ran for his life. Now he couldn't even get himself out of bed. Instinctively, Kim grabbed an arm while the nurse grabbed the other, becoming human crutches. You could feel the tension and apprehension in his body, but he willingly took the help. Once situated, the crew moved swiftly and methodically, Jay taking the lead with Adam and Kim in tow. It was a quick four floor elevator ride to the helipad. Jay scanned the area before leading the group to the helicopter and it was a quick two minute load. Adam was rightfully confused by now but went along with the circus act, blankly staring into nothing the entire time. The helicopter housed the pilot, Jay, Adam, Kim, and a paramedic that was in charge of keeping Adam's pain and sleep managed during the flight. A few thank yous and waves were given before the doors were latched shut and the rotor blades began to whir. Once airborne, Adam's patience finally gave out.

"Where the heck are we going?"

"Minneapolis."

"Why exactly?" Do we detect his first sarcastic question? No need to hide information from him anymore. It was his livelihood, he had a right to know.

"Because after you escaped, Bataglio left the farm and the police don't know where he is." Adam just nodded and went back to staring out the window. He figured that was the reason for the security and sudden departure, but actually hearing his assumptions were correct really drove home his fear, this nightmare wasn't over yet. Kim waved a hand in his face, eventually getting his attention.

"Take that hospital band off and put this one on, this is your undercover name. He ripped off the old one and let her secure the new one on his wrist, reading the new name before inquiring.

"Who is Patrick J. Flueger?" Kim laughed while Jay rolled his eyes.

"Some stupid name Hailey came up with. She saw it on a TV last night and thought it was a great alias."

"So I'm impersonating an actor?" The two nodded in unison.

"And we're not concerned with creating a scene with people thinking I'm this guy?"

"Would you just stop overthinking everything and just go to sleep?! It's fine, nothing's going to happen." He too rolled his eyes before resting his head against the window, finally giving in to the morphine flowing through his system. It was fun to have a humorous moment in the middle of an uncertain situation.

The trip to Minneapolis was trying. For awhile, Adam did a fabulous job hiding his pain and fear. However, when the helicopter was about an hour out when he really started getting testy. He'd get easily irritated over the smallest things. For example, he complained about how the seatbelt rested on his lap. Kim offered to adjust it and he'd freak out, telling her it was fine and would motion for her to back off. Kim spotted the shake in his hands, but didn't say anything about it. Jay shrugged it off and Kim eventually did the same. It was another episode of Adam's mental trauma. As much as Adam hated everything now, down the road, he'd realize why things had to happen this way. His health and safety was everyone's top priority, whether Adam agreed with it all or not.

In typical Minneapolis fashion, landing on the helipad was slightly delayed because it had to be de-snowed. Even in the beginning of November, the city was already in full snow season. The crew was met with a harsh blast of cold air as they loaded off the chopper. Testy Adam protested being placed on a gurney but grumpily obeyed after a stern glare from Kim. The hospital staff was aware of Adam's situation and played right along with it all. Referring to Adam as Patrick and not offended by Jay's carrying of several guns. They also set up beds in Adam's room for both Kim and Jay, figuring that weren't letting the patient out of their sight. It took about an hour to get Adam checked in and settled in his room. He fell asleep as the IVs and monitors were reunited with their leads and medications. Kim and Jay relaxed in chairs on opposite sides of Adam's bed, closing their eyes while listening to the heart monitors beep their trancing tune.

"Well, that was a morning," Kim stated.

"Yeah.." Jay rubbed his temples before sitting up a little.

"So…I'm not sure how to ask this…"

"Will he ever get back to normal? Will he ever get over his PTSD?" Kim half smiled.

"Yeah. If you don't want to talk about it.."

"-No, it's fine. Um, he certainly can. But he has to want to get better. It can't be other people telling him to do it."

"How do you overcome it?" Jay was quiet before answering.

"I wouldn't say I've gotten over it. Memories, feelings, events, can't just be swept under a rug. You have to deal with it everyday. You figure out what your triggers are and avoid them, but you eventually come to a point where you don't let it consume you. It's apart of your life, it's not your whole life. It takes time, but he can get there." Kim nodded for a second, really soaking in Jay's comment.

"Thanks, Jay. For all this. He may not like relying on others, but I appreciate it." Jay curtly nodded.

"It's my job. I'm starving, you want anything?" Jay got her order and headed for the cafeteria.

…

The remaining members of Intelligence camped out at the farm for the day, going over what the CSIs recovered and further searching Raymond's room and office. Even with Adam safe and out of the area, it was still difficult going back there. The place reeked of suspicion. Questions of why Raymond hadn't come back, where was he hiding out now, and where's the rest of his crew, remained unanswered. It was nearing dusk when Antonio's phone buzzed. He grew excited as he scrolled through the lengthy email sent from the district in Chicago.

"We caught a break. We've got footage of a female matching Adam's description shopping at three different drug stores buying things for wound control. After running her face through the database, we got a hit: Lucinda Riggs. She's never been arrested, but her prints are in the system because she a college student at…the University of Chicago." Hailey scrolled down the report to reveal a surprise twist.

"Um guys, she's a med student and someone filed a missing persons report on her two months ago. She was last seen at a bar two blocks from the school."

"Bataglio kidnapped her, but why?"

"Simple, he needed someone with medical knowledge who could fly under the radar. People really go looking for missing doctors, not college students." His point was sad, but accurate. How many missing college students turn out to have just bailed on school, hoping to find themselves elsewhere? They all went back to scouring the updated case file on their tablets.

"Start looking for places where you could patch someone up without getting noticed." The sheriff was walking by as Voight spoke.

"You know, there is this abandoned drug store on the north end of town. Kids are known to use it as a hideout. It had a clinic at one point and all the furniture and equipment is still there." Intelligence didn't need to be told what to do next.

…

It was completely dark as the group quietly pulled up to the location. There's something eerie about closed up buildings, especially at night. The dusty boards and faded, peeling paint really welcomed the shadiest of characters and creatures. Might as well throw out a welcome mat for the paranormal beings. Sheriff Woodley and two of his officers took the lead with Intelligence right behind them. Search warrants weren't necessary—or at least that was the story—and getting in covertly was essential. They walked the perimeter of the building to find an unlocked door. The Parkington team breached first, guns and flashlights raised. Intelligence took the back of the store while the other searched the front. Communication was limited to hand gestures and head jerks. They were searching in one of the clinic's exam rooms when a quiet, methodical thump sounded. Hailey and Kevin slowly marched into the waiting area of the clinic and paused, waiting for the sound to resume. Two thuds rang out. The two of them quickly headed for the filing cabinet in the corner, jostling the heavy furniture before pushing it outward. They shined their lights to reveal a small, shaking, figure.

"Please! Please don't shoot!" Lucinda had a bruise on her cheek and a cut on her forehead, but she was alive and safe. Hailey immediately dropped her gun and hugged the girl, repeating comforting words. Atwater picked the girl up and walked her out the door. She finally began to calm down as the paramedics were fixing her up. Hailey sat on the edge of the ambulance steps with her while the guys stood back, forming a half circle around the back of the ambulance.

"Lucinda, we know about the abduction and that Raymond Bataglio forced you to do things. You're not in trouble, but we need your help." The girl shook at the mention of the demon's name, but eventually nodded. Hailey put a blanket around the girl.

"Can you tell us how he took you," Atwater asked? Lucinda moved her attention from Hailey to Atwater before speaking.

"There was this guy I met on Facebook a couple of weeks before. He claimed to be a student at my school and we really hit it off, bonding over our hatred of college math. We agreed to finally meet up at a bar close to the school. I sat there for forty minutes waiting before this big, burly, intimidating guy came in a hugged me, saying if I didn't go with him he'd kill me right there. We walked out the front of the bar before he put a rag over my face. Next thing I knew, I was in that basement and Raymond was standing over me." Lucinda lost it and stopped speaking. Hailey hugged her again as the girl sobbed on her shoulder. They all waited till she settled down.

"Lucinda, do you have any idea where Raymond went?" She shook her head.

"He didn't talk about that kind of stuff around me. After that Adam guy escaped, Raymond made me patch him up here and then he attacked me, throwing me behind that cabinet before he took off. I know his other assistant is with him." The paramedics intervened at this point, saying it was time for Lucinda to leave.

"Thank you, Lucinda. You've been a big help. This officer is going with you to the hospital and he'll stay with you till your parents arrive. They're super excited to see you." She merely nodded as the paramedics secured her on the gurney. Hailey was about to close the doors when Lucinda waved.

"Wait, what happened to the Adam guy that escaped?" Hailey hesitated, wondering if it was wise to share that info.

"He's safe and doing well." It was the best Hailey could do without giving away too much. Lucinda accepted it. Hailey watched till the ambulance was out of sight to before rejoining the group. There were talking about possible locations but she wasn't really listening. Something needed to be done. This creep had to be locked up and soon before he ruined more lives. The time for playing catch up was over, it was time for them to be the planners. It hit like a wrecking ball. The plan was risky, but could work. She raised her hand, forcing everyone to stop speaking.

"I've got an idea. It's dangerous, but it's right up our alley."

…

She awoke to cursing. Not a pleasant wake up call. She rolled over to see Adam very much asleep, but very much in the middle of a nightmare. He was profusely sweating and squirming in bed. Kim noticed a blood stain on his gown around the middle of his stomach. She quickly got out of bed and began speaking, trying her best to wake him. A loud, 'ADAM!' finally got his eyes to pry open.

"Hey, it's ok. You were just having a bad dream. Jay was outside keeping guard when it all happened, he alerted the nurses of the nightmare and they shortly arrived, pulling the gown down to his waist to reveal blood soaked dressings. Adam tore his stitches. As they assembled a kit to repair his suturing, Adam just zoned out, heavily breathing the entire time. He didn't even flinch when they numbed the area and corrected the broken strings. It was a quick ten minute process that ended with Adam's antipsychotic medication being increased. He was full daydreaming as they slid the door closed, leaving the two of them alone. Kim pulled a chair close to the bed and hesitated before reaching over. She couldn't take it anymore. If Adam wasn't to going to initiate it, then it was her move to make.

She held his hand and stared, waiting for him to get upset. They didn't say anything for a minute, just waiting for the other one to let go. She could feel the shakiness in his hand but didn't budge. This was a fear he had to overcome. Her patience was rewarded with a squeeze from him. A victorious moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He opened his mouth and hesitated.

"Adam, I'm not going to judge you. No one here is. What happened to you was terrible, but you made it through. In order for things to start getting back to normal, you have start talking to us."

"I can't just go back to being normal. I can't just act like nothing happened and everything's fine."

"No one is saying that. But you have to process. I am here and more than willing to be that listening ear. You have to _trust_ me again. I'm not going to hurt you. Ever." They sat in silence for a moment, still not letting go of the other's hand. He sniffed some tears away before speaking.

"I was back in the cellar. Bataglio was standing over me with a knife, threatening to hurt you if I didn't talk. I didn't say anything and suddenly you were there, tied up to a chair. And then he held the knife to your throat and I freaked out, telling him I'd kill him. I didn't see anything happen because you woke me up." They two of them were crying at this point, wiping tears away with their non-occupied hands. And then Adam did something so out of context for the last few days, he laughed. Kim just stared at him, convinced he was given too much of the drugs.

"Look at us, why are we so prone to being emotional wrecks?!" Kim let go of his hand and moved to sit next to him on the bed, carefully wrapping her arm around him. He was still shaking and a little uneasy, but he didn't move away from her.

"Because it's what we're good at." She kissed his shoulder before looking up at him.

"Thanks, Adam. I appreciate you telling me." He looked around the room before speaking.

"I don't think things will ever get back to normal."

"Ugh, stop it. We'll figure it out together. Even if it doesn't, we'll make the most of our new normal." The two of them shared a bed that night. Not in a dirty sense, but a trusting one. They both needed each other that night in order to get through its' darkness. Jay at one point looked behind him to see Adam's arm on Kim's face, both of them zonked out and snoring. He adjusted the two of them before returning to his post. _The kids are alright._

The next days saw great, positive strides being made. Adam's mental state was still fragile, but improving to the point where he was only on the antipsychotic meds at night, and even then, the doses were small. He also met with a psychiatrist that specialized in traumatic experiences everyday. Early on, their session were frightening and tearful. The doctor wanted Adam to verbally re-experience what all happened those dark days in an effort to process it all. By doing so, the goal was to not make things an unspoken, taboo, ghost in his past but rather, a piece of his past. A chapter in his life story that was tragic and traumatizing, but one that could springboard determination and resentment to letting it win. And it seemed to be working. There were times Adam would pull random things out of thin air. They'd be talking about something and then he'd sharply steer the conversation in a different direction. He reached a comfort point where it wasn't something he dreaded discussing, but instead, truly wanted to talk about. By doing so, the event wasn't no longer becoming him, but a part on his timeline.

There was also the physical recovery that progressively improved each day. He walked around for the first time three days after checking in to the Minneapolis hospital. It was a trip to the bathroom, but a victory nonetheless. It was his first solo walk since his day in the woods, and it was nice to have that new memory of walking. Granted, it hurt like no other, but it was a big step towards normalcy. Pun totally intended.

He also felt the effects of a reduced liver. The liver is a large filter that processes blood, chemicals, and drugs. With a smaller liver, he felt the side effects of drugs a lot longer than people normally would. Also, he was tired all the time. Now that partly had to do with his trauma as a whole. But even a week after, he couldn't stay awake for more than a couple of hours. And then there was the inability to drink. It was around night five that he sat up in his sleep and was visually startled. Kim remembers waking up to moaning and Adam's hands on his eyes.

"Adam, what's wrong? Talk to me." She flung her blankets off and was sitting on the bed across from him, still waiting for a response.

"I had a dream that we were at Molly's and I just realized I can't have any of that for a long time." She laughed, like, a lot for a long time. She eventually woke up a tired, bed headed Jay who just stared at her.

"I'm sorry, Jay. Nothing's wrong. Go back to sleep." He didn't utter a word, just fell back on his pillow and was out in seconds. Kim playfully slapped Adam's arm before settling him back in bed. She loved her dork. As each IV line and monitor sensor was removed, his spirits were that much lifted. The light at the end of this nightmare's tunnel was creeping ever closer. However, there was one final hurdle to jump over, the last surgery before he could get discharged: dental surgery.

It was a simple procedure to insert a veneer in the place where his tooth fell out. The whole thing would take an hour, tops. However, when you're freaked out by drills around your face, that sounds like the worst hour of your life. A renowned cosmetic oral surgeon was brought in to perform the operation and even bent the rules a little by allowing Adam to be sedated in his room. By doing this, he'd have zero memory of the entire process. Still, the thought of someone drilling in his mouth was unsettling for Adam. He was a nervous wreck that morning, trying to talk everyone out of doing it, swearing he didn't care if he had a missing tooth.

"Adam, sweetheart, every time you talk, we can see the gap where a tooth is supposed to be." Adam groaned in dread as Kim held his hand.

"It's going to be fine. You won't remember any of it and the doctor said you won't have a lot of pain afterwards." Kim gently ran her fingers up and down Adam's non-prepped arm as the anesthesiologist injected the powerful sedative into Adam's system. His eyes fluttered for a second before his whole body went limp. Kim quickly kissed Adam's forehead before the surgical team rolled him out and down the hall to the elevator. She stood in the empty room for a moment before leaving. She couldn't stay in here alone. She pulled a chair up outside Adam's room and sat next to Jay, leaning over to put her elbows on her knees. Jay gave her a reassuring smile.

"He's going to be fine."

"I know. It's just that he's gone. I can't help but think that the last time he was out of our sight…" Kim trailed off, lost in thought. She too had to process everything; accept what happened and figure out how to recover. She looked up to Jay and he only nodded. The two of them sat there for an hour, silent the entire time. Too consumed that Adam was not in their controlling hands. Wondering if they'd ever be OK with that again.

 **I love when TV shows and movies write in an actors name or facts. I've been dying to write something like that into a story and finally got my opportunity. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I liked writing it. Next chapter, we shall see freedom. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- The Price Of Freedom

 **Hello everyone! We're bringing this story towards its' close in this chapter. I hope you like how everything plays out. This has been so much fun to write and I've very much enjoyed your feedback. Let's do this.**

There was a muddled, swirling voice way out in the distance. Someone was trying to talk to him but he couldn't pick up any of the words. His eyes were open before he recognized he was awake. He was convinced he was back in that place. The panic was rising again in his system. He could feel his chest swelling and tightening. The hairs on his arms were standing straight up. He felt the cold, metal chair under him. He detected the musty smell of the room. He was on the verge of thrashing when a gentle hand on his chest brought him back to reality.

"Adam? Hey, can you hear me?" He blinked again, finding himself in the hospital room he fell asleep in. The quiet, pulsating pain in his mouth brought everything back to him.

"Adam, you're alright. It's all done and everything went well." It was clear the anesthesia was still affecting him, but Kim couldn't help but detect the oncoming panic attack. He looked around the room a few times before acknowledging her.

"Hey, darling," Adam whispered with a rough voice. There was some swelling on his left cheek where the surgeon inserted the veneer, making his speech a little slurred.

"Try to not talk too much. Are you in pain?" Adam nodded, wincing as he twitched his cheek. A dose of pain medication was given and Adam was floating on a cloud, very much out of it. You could've told him he had pink hair and he wouldn't have cared. Kim kissed his forehead as his eyelids drooped.

"Love you. You did well. It's all over." Slow, medicated blinks were all she got. It took a minute for Adam to drift back into the relaxing darkness. He looked so peaceful while he slept. Kim sat there watching his chest rhythmically go up and down. The bruises were in the fading stages and the cuts and incision on his body were healing nicely. She decided this was the first time he looked more like himself than a patient, or a victim. While he still had a ways to go, she felt the worst was in the past. The door slid open, interrupting her daydreaming.

"Did he wake up," Jay asked?

"Yeah, for a minute. The pain meds just knocked him back out." Jay nodded while staring at the person in the bed, settling his own worried mind that Adam was ok.

"Voight called and said they're on their way here."

"Did they find Bataglio?" Jay shook his head.

"They have something they want to talk to us about, but wouldn't say over the phone." Kim didn't answer. Something told her it wasn't good. The fact that they wanted to speak in person didn't help the pit of worry in her gut. She went back to focusing on Adam, holding his hand while running her fingers on his arm. Whatever they wanted to discuss would involve Adam. And knowing him, he'd be all in for the crazy notion.

…

While they all tried their best, the shuffling and hushed speaking wasn't enough to keep Adam asleep. He slightly opened one eyelid and saw a whole bunch of faces turn towards him. At first, he was a little startled by it all. After re-closing his eyes and processing it all, he remembered there were other members of Intelligence. He looked again to see familiar faces hesitating to say anything.

"Hey…everyone." Adam moved himself into a sitting position, encouraging Intelligence to approach him. Hailey offered a hug while Atwater and Antonio gave a typical 'bro hug.' Voight only nodded and asked how Adam was feeling. Everyone found a place to sit and they all caught up, talking about what all had happened since they were last together. Well, it was Kim and Jay who discussed Adam's recovery while the patient nodded and shrugged, his mouth was still too painful for talking. Then the conversation turned to those who stayed in Parkington. They revealed the truth about Lucinda Riggs and her reunion with her family. They carefully discussed the learned information about Bataglio, Adam nodding the whole time. He was appreciative of their caution but was ready to be treated like a normal person. He hated that everyone tip toed around him. And then they got quiet, making the tension in the room properly thick. Adam looked to each person, waiting for them to spit out whatever they were holding back.

"…And," he finally asked?

"Guys, c'mon. It's me. You don't need to be so careful. I can handle it." Hailey stared right into his eyes, a smirk forming on her face.

"You've been in his presence and know what he likes and says. We…I have an idea that will work, but requires your assistance. Lucinda was kidnapped through a Facebook relationship with a mystery guy and we found evidence at Batalgio's farm that he's the one who's behind the fake account, using his muscle guy to do the dirty work. I'd like for you to initiate another relationship with him. If everything goes to plan, we'll be able to track his IP address and finally get him." Kim was the first to baulk at the idea, saying it was too big a risk, both to Adam's safety and recovery. Adam, respectfully, ignored her.

"Would I be posing as myself or an alias? Remember, this guy knows all of us and probably has a way of tracking our IP address."

"We'd set up a fake account under an alias. And we have people figuring out how to scramble the address," Antonio answered.

"How do we know he won't be doing the same?"

"Because if you're some unsuspecting girl, there's no reason to. Plus, we have some savvy tech guys as well." Kim at this point waved her arms in the air, trying to make this discussion cease.

"This is ridiculous. Are you aware of what you're asking him to do? There has to be another way." Everyone, including Adam, just stared at her while she ranted. Their silent, desperate eyes telling her what she already knew, it was this crazy plan or Bataglio gets away with everything. They all sat in silence for a moment, waiting for someone to say something.

"Kim, I'll be fine. I won't be physically seeing him again, right?" The group nodded in unison.

"Plus, he won't know it's me. I've got to see this through. When do you want to do this?"

"When you get released and we're back in Chicago. Letting things die down a little will play into the deception. He'll likely think he got away with it all and his guard will be down a little."

"Ok, let's do it." Kim didn't say anything for awhile, nor did she bring it up the rest of the day. Everyone eventually left the room, giving the couple some space. Adam would try and bring it up, hoping to talk things out, but she'd ignore him. She knew he'd try to get back into things, but didn't expect him to be so willing to try crazy, reckless ideas. Kim feared it was a precursor to a mental relapse. Adam re-immersing himself in that situation would set him back, not helping him heal. It was a quiet, tense night's sleep. Kim knew it was crazy, but the best plan going forward. Adam just wanted everything to finally be over.

…

It was weird putting on regular clothing. Adam had grown accustomed to hospital gowns and pants and, for awhile there, he felt like he'd never get to experience the world outside his window. He'd just become a permanent resident on the fourth floor at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. However, during the afternoon of Adam's tenth day in the hospital, thirteen days after that freezing day in the woods, Adam was getting his ticket punched; it was time to re-enter the cold, dark, unpredictable world. Adam's recovery had progressed enough to where could exist without the need for constant supervision and medication. While things would still be sore and slow for a few more weeks, he was both mentally and physically ready for whatever life had in store for him. He quietly sat on the end of his bed, watching Kim round up the last of their things. In a small corner of his mind, he wasn't ready to leave the safe, sanctuary living conditions of the hospital. Until Bataglio was captured, he'd have to always be looking over his shoulder, judging every phone call, delivery, and text message; making sure it was legitimate. He shoved those fears away, Bataglio had already taken a part of him, no need to give the demon the rest of his life. Plus, he was ready to stop being called Patrick and, when Intelligence really wanted to pester him, Paddy. He actually missed the sound of his own name. Kim looked over at him and half smiled, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Can we talk about it," Adam finally asked?

"About what?"

"Oh, just the giant elephant in the room. The one that's been living in here for the last couple of days?" Kim sighed, trying to hold back a laugh. It was so great to see his humorous side coming back.

"There isn't much to discuss, you've made up your mind." Adam loudly exhaled, rolling is eyes as well.

"Kim, put yourself in my shoes. Wouldn't you want to see the guy that did something to you in prison?"

"I have been putting myself in your world for the past two weeks. I'm scared Adam. I haven't slept well because I've been worried about you. You're jumping back in to things too quickly. Have you even fully processed all that's happened? How close you got to…to…"

"-Dying?! Yes, I'm not an idiot who's out for revenge, hoping that'll calm the fear and problems in my life. Bataglio has to be found. We've seen what he's done and what he can easily do again. If it means sacrificing my mental sanity to stop this monster from ruing another person's life, then so be it. I can handle it." Kim wiped away a tear, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Adam. There was a heartbroken aspect in him now. Despite his lighter mood and strong exterior, you could tell something was different. Like a light inside of him was diminished a little. She wanted so desperately to help him return to his former self. But that was the worst thing about it all; she couldn't do anything about it, it was all up to him. She thought about all he said before accepting the truth. If helping find Bataglio was the only way to begin getting her Adam back, then she had to take a backseat, fill the supportive role in the storyline.

"Ok, let's do it. Let's go take down the giant, scary, bad guy." He placed his arm around her, wincing at the dull pain it caused. The two of them sat their for a moment, embracing each other while lost in thought. It was the unknown element of the next step that frightened them both. Ready or not, it was coming.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of this." That was the first time anyone had said that to Kim. Everyone was concerned with Adam's experience and recovery, and rightfully so. But she was touched that he was thinking of her well being. She squeezed him a little harder, making him exaggerate a playful, 'OW!'

"Anything for you, Adam. I'd do it all over again if I had to."

"Well, let's hope this is a one and done thing. Now, let's get out of here." She helped him into a standing position and walked him to the waiting wheelchair outside his door. Kim, Adam, and a nurse met the team at the door, a warming car waiting for it's precious cargo. Adam claimed the passenger seat and watched as the hospital disappeared in the side mirror. He was grateful for their hospitality and care, but he hoped to never have to see them again. As that chapter of life vanished from his view, he turned his head forward, equally ready and terrified to be going home.

Most of them blended in to the horde of people sitting at gate E17 waiting to board flight 853. To the unsuspecting eye, they looked like a group of friends coming back from a weekend trip. Their large carryons were at their feet and beanies and coats were worn by all. Some chose to rest their eyes while other busied themselves with their phones. It was the tired, slightly battered looking guy in the middle of the pack that made people do a double take. Adam received a lot of strange looks while going through security, the journey to the gate, and even during their wait for the plane's arrival. It also didn't help that he was rightfully scared, looking behind and around constantly. Kim tried to calm him down, but all he saw was Bataglio's face. He'd see him standing against a pillar, in a security line, and even across the shuttle train. Adam knew he really wasn't there, but his mind kept playing the same terrible joke on him. He at one point rubbed his eyes and somewhat groaned. He wanted something that would dull the dread and misery. He so desperately desired to be and feel normal again. He wanted it all to end. Before he caused a scene, it was time to board. Adam slept for most of the flight back to Chicago. Only stirring when the hard reunion with the ground jolted him. His ears popped as he looked out on the bright, sunny, freezing afternoon. Chicago had its' best colors on for him. Adam just wished he felt up for a welcoming parade.

"Are we going to the precinct," Adam asked as they boarded the L? He wasn't up for going home just yet. In all honesty, home wasn't going to feel right for awhile. Voight nodded.

"Yeah, we're ready to get started if you are." Adam quickly nodded before looking out the train's windows. It was a slow, multi-stop trip from O'Hare to the 21st, but eventually they stood at the bottom of the precinct's steps. Voight took the lead while the rest followed behind. Kim took Adam's hand and the two walked up together. Platt was elated to see her people back safe and sound. She did a double look before acknowledging them. She quickly moved from behind the desk before pushing people away, beelining it for Adam. She stopped about a foot away from him.

"I don't normally do this, so don't get used to it." She slowly moved in for a hug and he allowed her. It felt like a lifetime since he saw the small, yet mighty woman. They embraced each other for a second before she moved away, giving him a warm, encouraging smile.

"I'm so happy you're here. Don't think this means you're allowed back to work though. You don't get to do anything without the proper approval." She joking slapped his arm before returning to her post. Gosh, he never thought he'd miss the puzzling character of Trudy Platt.

…

Things fell right back into place. They all grabbed a crappy cup of coffee from the break room before settling into their usual spots. Adam examined the trinkets on his desk. It was like looking at a life that wasn't his own. There was a scribbled note about a car description from a case they were working on stuck to the left side of his computer screen. Another note opposite the screen housed numbers and random letters. Adam wasn't sure what those were and really didn't care. The notes were from the day of his kidnapping and seemed insignificant now. He removed them from their spots and crumbled them, chucking them into the trash can. A picture of the team outside of Molly's was to the right of his keyboard. It was right around the beginning of the year. A case had pushed holidays back, everyone ignoring the New Year in order to find a low-life child abductor. The night at Molly's was a belated ringing in the new year celebration. Everyone was smiling and a little tipsy. He and Kim had begun to rekindle their relationship and even in the recorded moment, it was clear they still shared something. While the others were facing the camera, the two of them were locked on each other. Alvin Olinsky's smug face made him realize how quickly things can change in a year. Reflecting on the last few months drove home the adage that life is an ever moving rollercoaster. There are no lull moments. Every second on the ride is precious. A whistle from behind Adam pulled him out of his thoughts.

"You ready, kid," Voight asked? Adam whipped his head around and nodded. Time to get this thing into gear.

…

The alias Facebook account was already set up and friends with Bataglio's alias account. A young female officer volunteered to be the face behind the plan and Adam was impressed with the painstaking details on the account. No one would've guessed everything was set up hours ago. They wrote an intricate bio detailing the alias' life and somehow created pictures that would pass for any college girl's time at school. There were even lengthy private messages dating back several months. Mad props to the wizards in the tech office.

"Ok, Bataglio's account in on right now so click the box on the right side of the screen to initiate a IM session."

"I know how Facebook works. I'm not that out of touch with everything," Adam joked.

"What is this person's major?"

"Pre-med with a focus on animal health." Adam jokingly rolled his eyes.

"Let's hope he doesn't ask anything specific." He selected the IM box and hesitated over the keys, the thought of having to speak to that person again was terrifying. He ignored the alarms in his brain and began typing.

 _How funny is it that we're on here at the same time._ It was the best Adam could come up with. They all held their breath waiting for the writing bubbles to appear. Four agonizing minutes later, they did.

 _It's not funny when it's intentional. You look familiar. Do we share a class together?_ The directness of his tone was unsettling. A tech behind the group spoke up.

"He's running an IP trace."

"Well get on it." Keys were clicking at a furious pace.

"Already on it. He's fast though."

"Be faster," Antonio snapped back.

"I think we spooked him. It's too similar to Lucinda," Adam blurted out.

"We don't know that yet, keep typing," Hailey replied. Atwater and Jay were sitting against Voight's wall, wide eyed and nervous. Adam collected himself for a minute before resuming.

 _I have one of those faces. What's your major?_ Adam looked to the group with surrendering hands. They waited and waited, fully anticipating Bataglio to sign off. The bubbles reappeared moments later.

 _Why do you want to know so much about me?_

 _Because I like meeting people from my school. It's my freshman year and I'm looking for life long connections._ It was a crappy response and Adam prayed he bought it. The tech spoke up again.

"He stopped the trace. Now it's time for us to return the favor." The furious key typing picked up speed.

 _I'm a biology major. Who do you have for Chem 104?_ Ah, the final test. Adam froze, hands very much shaking by now.

"Do we have anything on this?" Kim and Hailey ran for their phones while Antonio combed through Lucinda's statement. Kim raced back in shouting.

"The latest professor list is two years old and there are three professor who teach Chem 104."

"Just pick a name. We can't be taking this long to respond," Jay interjected.

"Ugh….just say Professor Peabody." Adam punched in the name and prayed. You could've heard a pin drop as they waited for the impending doom.

 _Oh man, sorry you have to put up with her. Talk about strict grading._ Adam placed on head on the counter while the rest of them collectively exhaled. They were in.

 _Oh I'm aware. My grade point is suffering thanks to that woman._

 _Why don't we hang out sometime and discuss our plights?_

"Well," Adam asked?

"You don't want to seem desperate," Kim replied.

"Nor do we want this to drag on forever," Hailey commented.

"Tell him you're available tomorrow night," Atwater suggested.

 _That sounds like a good idea. I'm free tomorrow night?_ The magical bubbles quickly popped back up.

 _Let's meet at the pizza place a couple of blocks from the sports complex around 6?_

 _Sounds good. I know the place and I'll see you then._ Adam signed off a few minutes later and turned to face with worrying crowd. He ran his hands on his legs, trying to hide the shaky, sweatiness of them.

"I'm fine. Do we actually know the place he's talking about?" Kim gave him a compassionate smile before gently rubbing Adam's back.

"No, but we've got time to figure that out. We'll get officer Mechling set up with surveillance and we'll be stationed at all the exits."

"How do we know he'll be the one that actually show up?"

"We don't which is why we're going to hit the location of the IP address. We'll get Bataglio and his remaining henchman at the same time."

"I want to be there when you arrest Bataglio," Adam replied. His voice was nervous but strong. They knew it was a bad idea but understood where Adam was coming from. He had to see this through to the end. There was no way they were going to keep him away from this.

"Fine. But you're not breaching. You're not cleared for duty and you're way too close to this."

"I know, but I need to be there. I need to see the look in his eyes when his freedom is taken away." Voight nodded, ignoring the dirty looks from everyone.

"Ok. Let's get the details worked out."

…

It was pitch black and freezing when the crew pulled up to the location. It was an abandoned house on the south side of the city that appeared to have not been lived in for quite some time. The grass was non-existent and most of the windows were shattered. Voight dimmed the lights as he rounded the street corner, telling the car behind him to follow suit. He parked directly across the way from the house, the second vehicle a little further up. The team was donned in all black and chose to use the long guns. While Atwater, Antonio, and Hailey were stationed at the pizza place across from town, Voight, Jay, Adam, Kim, and a few other officers were waiting to pounce at Bataglio's location. Once they got the call that the henchman was captured, it would be a full assault on the head of the operation. Adam was in the passenger seat in tact gear. He wasn't allowed to breach so the gear was purely for precaution reasons. Adam watched Jay and Kim slowly make their way down the sidewalk before lurking around the back of the house. Two quiet clicks on the radio confirmed they had the target in sight and were waiting for the command. Voight and two officers would enter through the front door once they got the signal.

The waiting portion of the job was the worst. Silence was the scariest sound in the world. It wasn't quiet nor was it nonexistent. It filled one's mind with a thousand different scenarios, revealing how stupid a plan was. Furthermore, the screaming buzz would draw one's mind to other, darker thoughts. Adam didn't know how the other's coped with it all, but he enjoyed tapping something; a tune to keep his wandering mind distracted. Voight would look over at him in annoyance before fixating his eyes on the house. A perpetual buzzing heightened the intensity in the vehicle.

"Yeah," Voight whispered. Adam detected a voice on the other end but couldn't make out the words.

"Alright. Good work." Voight placed the phone on the console and grabbed the car door.

"Jay, Kim, we're breaching in thirty."

"Copy that," Jay replied. Voight got out of the car before turning to Adam. His officer was an array of emotions: happy, scared, relieved, uneasy. The events of the last few weeks flashed in front of him. All the fear and heartache was necessary in order for this moment to happen. He was thrilled that this wasn't a revenge mission over a fallen officer. More importantly, he was proud of Adam for making it this far. He could only imagine what was now Adam's reality. The fact that he was in this spot at this moment was huge. He smirked at Adam as he closed the door, pointing at the car lock. It was his way to reminding him to not get out. Adam loudly breathed a few times before staring at the house, awaiting a sight he longed for for awhile now.

The waiting game resumed. He saw the lights from the guns and heard the shouts from his team, but Bataglio wasn't seen. Adam closed his eyes and counted to thirty, trying to mentally escape to another world. He bent over to allow his elbows to rest on his knees, hands coursing through his hair. The sound of a police car pulling right next to the vehicle jerked his head up, revealing a crowd of six: three members of Intelligence, two police officers, and one demon of a human named Raymond Bataglio. He was cuffed from behind his back and was being escorted by two people. Adam instinctively grabbed for the car door handle and pushed himself out, stopping at the hood of car to witness the scene. Voight worked his way to the mobster and grabbed the shoulder of his jacket, pulling the man inches away from his face. Adam didn't hear what he said, but it was apparent the message wasn't friendly. Adam moved closer to the crowd before Kim stepped in from somewhere and placed a hand on his shoulder. She tried to turn Adam around but he didn't budge.

"Adam, come on, it's over. Let them handle it." Adam didn't break his vision of the scene. Police lights were flashing and lights from guns were swirling around. Radios were saying a thousand things at once and cars were creating barriers on the street. Adam didn't hear or see any of it because as his real life monster stood at the open police car door and was about to enter the back seat. Bataglio looked in the distance and found Adam's stare. It was a split second moment that will forever be engrained in Adam's memory. In that fleeting moment, one man lost his freedom while other regained his. No longer did Adam have to live with the dread that his captor was on the loose. He could now sleep at night without reliving the nightmare of those two days. He was free.

Adam didn't see the police car drive away. By that point, he was resting against the car, sobbing. His life was his to live and control. Kim held Adam for a time before Jay joined the group, offering a hug to his friend and teammate. Voight eventually joined the group and offered a hand for Adam to stand up with. They all climbed into the car and silently drove away. Nothing needed to be said that Adam didn't already know. Life was never promised to be an easy one. As much as people hate the idea of storms, the beautiful result of them is that things become stronger. And as Adam stared out at the street lights of the windy, stunning, city, he took comfort in this truth and looked forward to a stronger, more able version of himself.


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

 ***Scratches the record* We've still got the epilogue to get through! Thank you so much for going along this journey with me. I have had an absolute blast writing this story and I pray you've enjoyed how everything has progressed. This will be my final story till the new year because, alas, I am tired. I need to take some time to recharge the writing batteries and get inspired for the next adventure. I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and exciting holiday season. Now, let's dive in Where Art Thou one final time.**

It had been awhile since he sat in a jail cell. He forgot how cold, damp, and depressing this place was. Of course, it was intended to be that way, but getting that first hand experience really drove home why so many people dreaded, feared this place. Looking at the sad grey hue of the room and sitting on the stiff mattress on the concrete bed frame, he was glad to no longer be on this side of the bars. While what he did was for Justin—and he'd do it all over again—this was a dark, low moment in his life. He'd intentionally arrived at the cell a few minutes earlier than the prisoner. It had been three months since the night of the arrest and so many things had happened. For starters, Raymond Bataglio was tried and convicted for double kidnapping and the torturing of a police officer and was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison, with half of that time in solitary confinement. Because of Raymond's endless connections, the judged ruled for solitary confinement in an effort to truly cut him off from his network. It'd be awhile before he saw a fellow inmate again. Adam was present for the entire trial and even had to testify for the torturing accusations. It was tough having to watch him tell and defend all that happened to him, but he made it through with flying colors. Lucinda Riggs attended Bataglio's sentencing hearing. She and Adam talked for a moment afterwards and they ended up hugging. Lucinda cried on Adam's shoulder. While they haven't spoken since, it was a good ending to a horrible situation.

Adam returned to work two weeks ago. Well, he legally returned to work two weeks ago. He was hardly not in the office during his medical leave and Intelligence didn't care. It was therapeutic for everyone to have him back up there. The more he was present, the quicker everything began to feel normal. When he wasn't at work, he was at therapy sessions. He tried to maintain the facade that everything was fine but, after Bataglio was arrested, he fell into a deep depression. With his monster finally caged, he had the time to truly process what happened. The object of his distraction was taken away, leaving the enormity of the last few weeks open for interpretation. He had to realize and accept that he now lived with a dark, trying past and had to figure out his triggers. The once carefree, fully positive view finder was tarnished, creating a different outlook on life and the world around him. Adam struggled for awhile, really trying to figure why this terrible thing happened to him and what all it meant for his future.

Furthermore, he refused to go home. It was the place where his safety and security were violated and he couldn't revisit that moment when it was all taken away. Jay had a long talk with Adam one night and it ended with the two of them visiting Adam's apartment. They of them won't reveal the details of their night, but Adam is now able to stay at his place somewhat comfortably and sleep through the night. Kim said the first couple of nights back he'd call her in the middle of the night scared, swearing someone was breaking in. It would take her coming over to settle him down. The phone calls stopped about three weeks ago. Adam is still in twice weekly sessions and has greatly improved. He's accepted his new normal and is working to find and avoid his triggers. While at times he has that 'shell of himself' feel, he's becoming more and more like his old self. The rattling and sliding of the heavy cell door jolts Voight out of his reflection. He stands to face the prisoner and the guards.

"Ah, I get a welcoming committee," Bataglio hissed. He was in a navy jumpsuit and shackled at his wrists and ankles. It was a glorious sight.

"Where's Adam? Too chicken to see me off?" Voight wanted to badly to punch this guy into next week. But, he didn't want to give Batalgio the joy of getting under his skin. Instead, Voight chose to blankly stare.

"I just wanted to see this for myself. Navy is your color and steel looks good on you." Bataglio evil smiled before shuffling to the bed.

"Hank, you may have gotten me this time, but our little game isn't over. Don't think all of this means you've won. We've merely just begun." Voight half waved as he stepped out of the cell, allowing the guards to slid the heavy door shut. Voight smiled as he watched Bataglio take in his forever home.

"I like my chances." He started to walk away when Bataglio called him back.

"Hank, you know the saying, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend?' I like to use that as a life motto." The two men stood there for a moment, eyes locked in on each other. It was like witnessing boxers before they faced off. Would this be there final meeting? Probably not. But Voight celebrated their current situation.

"The welcoming committee left a gift." And on that note, Voight stormed off, heading for the exits while feeling Bataglio's glare. The demon laid on his bed and adjusted his pillow, noticing something hard underneath it. A king piece from a chess set and a now crumbled note greeted him. Bataglio smiled and laughed as he read the note. _A valiant effort. Check mate._

 _…_

The towering gates slowly rolled open as a siren buzzed overhead. Voight blinked a few times, readjusting to the light, before marching out into the free world. He rounded the corner to find Adam resting against his car, arms folded. He originally decided to go with Voight to the prison but backed out of seeing Bataglio at the last moment. His reasoning was that he already got his goodbye moment the night of Bataglio's arrest, he didn't want to go through all that again.

"Well,' Adam asked as Voight joined him against the car?

"It's done." Adam relaxed his shoulders a little and stared at the ground. Voight took in the grandness of the building in front of them. They both listened to the wind rustling the trees behind them. It was rare for the two of them to have these kinds of moments, neither one really knowing what to say.

"Why do I not believe that he's in there? Like, for good?" Voight shrugged.

"Because it's too good to be true. But it is, take it anyway you can." He glanced over it his officer. While the physical scars were pretty much healed, the emotional ones still had a way to go. Adam screamed uneasiness. He adjusted his weight on the car and scratched his forehead, revealing the entirely nail-less hand. The pain had gone away from those, but the grotesque aspect of them was still there. The smallest of growth was at the base of each nail, exposing the precious skin underneath to the elements. They all played it off, but it was a frightening reminder. Voight looked away before Adam noticed.

"Bataglio told me something that I'm trying to figure out."

"Yeah?!"

"He said the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I can't help but feel like it's a clue." The men resumed their silence for a bit, ultimately being interrupted by Adam's shock

"Oh my word, it's Woods." Adam stood up, mouth gaping.

"It makes sense. I helped Woods when he was investigating you. He probably cooked up the idea and was just waiting for the right person to come along. Me getting kidnapped wasn't random. It was a punishment and a warning for me…for all of us. Even from prison, he can still make our lives a living hell." Adam paced for a moment while Voight thought.

"Adam, you don't have proof."

"I don't need it. It makes sense."

"Hey!" Adam stopped and looked up.

"No, you're not going down this rabbit hole. Do not blame yourself for this and do not allow this to be a banana peel. Who cares if it was him? They're both in jail now. For a very long time I might add."

"I care! My life has been forever altered because of those two! And, it's not I had a choice in any of it. I can't just sit back and not care!" Voight was silent, letting Adam's comments echo through the parking lot. He could see the sad, helpless look in Adam's face. He had every right to be upset. He was the one brutally attacked while these men laughed at his pain. It would be hard for anyone to not get affected by that. Voight responded by getting into the car.

"Where are you going," Adam asked?

"Away from all this. I've lived the revenge life, remember? If you want to head in there and get what you desire, be my guest. But I have things to live for out here." He climbed in and slammed the door, starting the engine and slowly backed out of the spot. Adam was fuming anger, fixating his vision on the jail's walls. It would take an army to hold him back. Woods forced him into his little vendetta and took pleasure in forever altering his life. Adam suddenly found a new demon in his life. Another nightmare to suffer through. There was no way on this earth Woods wasn't going to pay. Adam forewent Voight's comments, not caring what happened to him afterwards. He made it about five steps before honking held him up.

"Hey! Kid, don't be an idiot. Get in the car." Voight gave him a look before curtly motioning to the car. The small voice returned. Adam found himself at another crossroad: seek revenge or justice. Something reminded Adam that one would bring peace while the other promised eternal emptiness. Certainly, Woods needed to pay, but things needed to be played out. Taking the longer, tougher road would reap a better reward. Adam took one last mental snapshot of the building in front of him before turning away and heading to the car. He quietly got in to the passenger seat and nodded, letting Voight know he was in. They didn't speak or even look at each other. Neither one of them knew where to go from here, but was ready for whatever the new challenge would entail. It may take some time, but in that car ride, the two men were ready and able to take the road less traveled on. Bataglio was right, the game was only just beginning. A new chess board lay in front of them, awaiting the next move. What Bataglio forgot though was who his opponents were. You could try and take one of them down, but best of luck tackling an entire regime. Adam watched the prison slowly slip out of the rearview mirror. This chapter of his life was officially over. Now comes the waiting for the next one to begin.

 _Screen fades to black. End credits roll._

 **Left the door open for a sequel. Will there be one? Let's let time decide that one. Thank you again for reading!**


End file.
